High Noon At Dodge Junction

by Gpizano

The Chips Are Down

When Applejack woke up, a sharp hiss escaped her as a sharp throb came from the back of her head. Knocked out twice over the course of a couple days, that probably wasn't good for her. Still she managed to open her eyes and saw in the morning light that she was in a bed at the clinic. Had she been dragged here? What happened? She moved to get out of bed, a little wobbly on her hooves before she reached up and pulled the curtain aside.

"You awake?" she heard from the next bed over, seeing that it was Draw Out with the bed stripped down and fresh bandages on his barrel. There was a bit of dried blood beneath him on the mattress. "Bout time, the doc thought you'd never wake up."

"How'd Ah get here?"

"Doc found ya' here passed out on the floor." he said, motioning over to the now closed window. "Came in ta' check on me this mornin' n' found ya' there passed out."

"Ah was chasin' after someone that came from the jail." said Applejack, walking over to the window and inspecting the area, finding some dried blood on the sill. "Ya' didn't see nothin'?"

"Nah, Ah was sleepin'. But the doc did say somethin' 'bout it this mornin'. Said the big stallion n' the deputy got killed by somepony."

Applejack frowned softly as she turned and headed back to her bed, taking a seat upon it and rubbing her head "Shoot. N' Ah let the pony give me the slip..."

"It happens." said Draw out, resting his hooves under his head with a yawn, the brown stallion shooting a smirk to Applejack "Looks like ya' jes' have bad luck. First gettin' knocked out by the same big stallion then gettin' knocked out again in the head."

That made Applejack pause, wheels starting to turn as she looked up at Draw Out, eyes narrowing slightly "How'd ya' know 'bout me gettin' knocked out?"

"Huh?"

"How'd ya' know? No one was 'round to see who knocked me out or how when Ah got kidnapped."

"Lucky guess." the mustached stallion said cooly, gaze up at the ceiling.

"... and what's with the dried blood n' no sheets?"

"Opened up mah stitches tossin' n' turnin'."

"How hard were ya' tossin' if'n ya' were sleepin' so hard ya' didn't hear mah scuffle with the murderer last night?" said Applejack, on her hooves again as she kept her gaze locked on him. "Ya' were the murderer, weren't ya'?"

"..."

"What the stallion was sayin' 'bout givin' up his boss.... was that you?"

"Now why would ya' say that?" drawled the stallion, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Ah dunno, none of it makes any sense ta' me!" said Applejack, upset at the idea that this stallion, someone that Cherry still cared a bit for, was in charge of the bandits that tried to rob Cherry in the first place! But what Cherry had said before in the kitchen came back to her. "Was yer' rough patch so bad ya' had to try n' rob her?!" spat Applejack, feeling disgusted with the other as she got back up on her feet.

"Ya' know yer plum outta' yer mind?" said Draw, sitting up with a grunt and glaring at her now, missing the small sounds of a door opening. "Ah mean, Ah got stabbed by the same ponies that ya' think Ah hired!"

"N' lucky the doc was there that night!" said Applejack, still glaring at him and missing the sound of soft hoof steps on wood boards "Ah bet if'n Ah asked him to describe the mare that asked him to the saloon that night, it'd be the same one in that gang you hired!"

"Now yer' stretchin' it missy." said Draw, but there was the faintest hint of a smirk on his lips. "Now why would Ah, in a bid ta' get some of mah ex wife's money... hire a couple of thugs to shake her down, end up kidnapping you for ransom, and get a non-fatal injury to gain her sympathy? Ya' think ya' could get the sheriff to follow all the dots yer' connectin' here?"

Applejack bit her lower lip and looked to the floor. It was a stretch for certain, even with her reputation as an honest mare and element of harmony, would there be enough evidence to hold up in a court? What evidence was there with the big stallion dead and the other two probably two shakes of a rabbits tail from gone? Applejack was left with a weak hand and Draw Out knew it from the smirk on his face. "That's what Ah thought. Now why don't ya' lie down n' be a good girl. N' perhaps give up crushin' on mah ex?" His smirk widened at the surprised look on her face "Yeah Ah know. Ah make a livin' seein' tells missy n' yer piss poor at keepin' a poker face. It's real pathetic really, 'specially since Ah know she'd never go fer ya'."

Remembering last night, those words stung as Applejack turned her gaze to the floor, not responding as Draw Out gave a laugh "Good you know Ah'm gonna be winnin' Cherry's heart back. S'good when a loser knows she's got a dead hoof-" he stopped when he heard louder hoof steps, his ex-wife coming in and looking absolutely livid. "... Cherry, good ta' see ya'." he said, his poker face on with a smile "How're-"

"Cut the bull!" she snapped, glaring at him now "Ah know your tells Draw, you... ya' did all of this." she said, stepping forward dangerously "And fer what? Some damned bits?!"

"Sugar, now listen!" he said, edging back in his bed as he put his hooves up "Ya' should know Ah'm in a pickle! Me n' Morello!" he relaxed a bit when that gave her pause "Ah jes' needed the money to pay off some debts. Ah'm in a bit of dire straits with some guys in Las Pegasus! N' they don't play 'round! Ya' wouldn't want me r' Morello hurt now, would ya'?" He lowered his hooves when he saw his ex-wife turn her gaze to the ground. Then he let out a pained yelp when she raised and hoof and brought it swiftly down on the wound to his side, grinding it in as he cried out.

"Ah'm tired, Draw." she hissed out "Tired of these games! Ya' come in here, ya' upturn e'erything, ya' put a mare Ah care about dearly through Tartarus n' fer what?!" At the last word, she put more pressure on her hoof to make him squirm and cry out more before she softened her gaze and lessened the weight. "Ya' never knew me at all, did ya'? Ah would've given' ya' the money if'n ya' dragged our son into trouble. If'n it was really that serious fer' ya'." Then the hard look came back in her eye "Ah'll pay off yer debt. But our son is comin' ta' live with me. N' yer spendin' a long time in jail, Draw."

"N... N' what makes ya' think that'll happen?!" he breathed out, eyes tearing up in pain.

"Cause between me n' Applejack tellin' what you did, ain't gonna take a jury to see you hanged." she hissed out "Ya' know the weight Ah pull 'round here, n' if'n Ah ask for some leniency they'll give it to you. So do somethin' decent fer once in yer' life and just take the deal Ah'm offerin' ya'!"

It only took a few moments for Draw Out to fold.

---

Applejack and Cherry left the clinic after the sheriff arrived and got the full stories. As promised, Cherry would put in the word for leniency for Draw Out so he wouldn't be taking a trip up to Boot Hill, in exchange Draw Out gave her the information on where their son was in Los Pegasus and the men he owed money to. It seemed the weight was finally off and Applejack was relieved.

"We need to talk, sugar." said Cherry.

Well, mostly. Applejack gave a nod as they both headed back to Cherry Hill Ranch, walking in silence up until they reached the manor "Ya' want somethin' to eat, sugar? Ah bet yer' starvin'." Applejack only nodded as they headed into the kitchen, this time working together to make up some wheat pancakes. Applejack wasn't sure what to do or say here, it wasn't until they had their own respective stacks and were sitting that Cherry spoke up.

"Ah'm sorry 'bout last night." she finally said, looking down sadly at her stack of pancakes. "Ah handled that all wrong. Ah was jes' under so much stress n' then ya' came out with that... Ah shouldn't of snapped at ya' like that."

"Nah." said Applejack, giving a light shake of her head "It's not like it was the right time 'er nothin'. Not with everythin' goin' on and yer ex-husband in town."

"Still, that wasn't the way to handle it." said Cherry, biting her lower lip before looking up at Applejack ".... why though?"

"Huh?"

"Why do ya' fancy me? Maybe Ah can understand a short crush but... ya' seemed real serious last night sugar." she said with a small, teasing smile.

"Cause Ah was."

"That simple?" said Cherry, giving a light shake of her head "Applejack, Ah'm much older than ya'. Ah have a son round yer' age! It's not like Ah'm a spring chicken..."

"So?" was Applejack's immediate reply, but from the expectant look on Cherry's face she was prodded to say more "Ah'll admit findin' out ya' had a son threw me a bit, but... it's hard ta' explain." Again she was prodded on as Cherry made a motion with her hoof to continue. "... yer' right beautiful Cherry, age ain't done nothin' 'bout that. But it's more n' that. Ah admire ya' a lot. Ya' run this whole place on yer own, yer successful but yer still a hard worker. N' then there's the smaller things, when we talk, when we have meals like this together, working together, when you can be a little silly... it's all real charming and Ah love it." As she spoke there was a soft, tender smile on her face as she had her gaze averted to the kitchen table and she pulled her stetson down a bit to cover her eyes. "So you know... s'all that."

However, when she glanced up, she was surprised to see Cherry just about as red as her cherries and fidgeting a bit "... glan sakes sugar." mumbled Cherry, ducking her head a bit but Applejack could still see the hint of a smile. "Ah ne'er knew ya' could be so good at sweet talk."

"Ah mean it." said Applejack, getting up from her seat and going around the table to Cherry's end, making the older mare look up at her "Cherry, yer' as sweet as can be n' there's a lot Ah really like about ya'." In a moment of boldness, she leaned in and gently nuzzled Cherry's cheek, making that blush intensify "Why wouldn't Ah be crazy 'bout ya', sugarcube?"

It took a moment but Cherry nuzzled Applejack back, a soft smile on her face. "N' Ah like ya' a lot too, darlin'." she murmured before pulling back a bit "... ifn' yer willin' to, then Ah guess Ah'm willin' to give this a try too."

Applejack felt her heart soar at that "Really?"

"Really."

The blonde mare had the biggest smile on her face as she sat right next to Cherry and they enjoyed their breakfast that morning.

Author's Note:

Hm. You think I'm making Cherry too much of a badass?

I dunno, I just like Cherry. XD

Either way this is turning out to be longer than I thought it would be. Woo!

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

So... There's more than one Cherryjack story on this website?

[Gpizano]

8557727
Apparently so. AND THIS ONE ISN'T SMUT!

But yeah, CherryJack is an OTP of mine so I'll probably write more, we'll see. XD