Fic: Big Time Cowboys 15/16

[youngeratheart.livejournal.com]

Big Time Cowboys
Chapter Fifteen
Word Count: 2,655
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Kendall/Jo, Logan/Camille, Ty/Amy, Lou/Scott, and possibly a bit of Jack/Lisa. As scary as that list might seem, this story is mostly about humorous antics and none of the pairings are a big focus of it, I promise. I just like to cover all the bases.
Disclaimer: I'm never going to grow up. That means... I'm not legally responsible for anything, right?
Summary: Four teenage boys. Two weeks. One ranch. Who will survive?
Spoilers: Nothing past Eye of the Wolf for Heartland, season 2 of Big Time Rush, with a very minor one from Big Time Moms. I couldn't resist.
Author's Note: I apologize for the delay in this. I haven't been able to do much that was humorous without really dark stuff, so I avoided this fic. I finally made some progress, and there's just the epilogue to go after this chapter.

---

Something for Everyone

 

"Murder is illegal, right?"

Lou looked over at her sister and smiled. She wanted to laugh; she really did. She knew that she shouldn't, but she wanted to. They'd all been treated to the music video plus the outtakes from the video after it was over, and poor Amy had been harassed within an inch of her life by the director and the boys' choreographer. She'd hated every minute of that video, and anyone who knew her could tell. Lou thought that was kind of Kendall's point with the video, to show everyone—and by everyone, it was really just the boys' producer—that Amy Fleming was not cut out to be a performer.

The second video they'd made—the one that still had Amy in it, riding her horses but not singing—was a lot better. Kendall's girlfriend had taken the female lead, and she was surprisingly good. In fact, the two of them were almost nauseatingly cute on screen, and though she sang with all of the guys, it was clear which one of them had her heart.

"Yes, Amy, it's still illegal, but on the bright side, I don't think that Gustavo will pick the video with you. You have a great voice, and you did what they told you to do, but Jo did a much better job than you did," Lou told her encouragingly, and Amy glared at her. "What? You didn't want to do it. Why do you care if I say I think Jo did a better job?"

"Because you're my sister. You're supposed to be... loyal?"

"Amy, just let it go. As it is, Kendall's plan is working out for the best. You can let Jo's performance outshine yours, let Gustavo pick her, and that's the end of it," Lou began, and her sister sighed. Hmm. Maybe underneath all of the protests, Amy actually wanted that song and that video. That was kind of funny. Lou had to keep herself from laughing again.

"I will. I just... I guess I thought... Was it really that bad?"

Lou shook her head. "No, it wasn't bad. It was just that you clearly didn't enjoy it. For one of Grandma's songs—you should have tried a bit harder to look like you were having fun. Even when the guys were so sick of the choreographer and the director and the stuffed horses, they managed smiles that looked half-convincing."

Amy sighed. She put her head down on the table. "I don't know why I care. Why do I care? That's not me. Grandma was the singer. Grandpa played the guitar. I like singing, but I love taking care of horses. That is what I should be doing. The whole singing and dancing thing, that is not me."

"Maybe it's not about that," Lou said gently. She touched her sister's back gently. "Maybe what you're upset about is because that wasn't your best effort. You knew that you could do better. You know that's not you because you could have been more like Lyndy and less like... a cardboard cut out."

Amy lifted her head for a moment. "Do you think Grandpa was disappointed? That he thought I let him down? Dishonored Grandma's memory?"

Lou shook her head. "No. I don't think that at all. The last thing Grandpa or any of us wants is you forced to do something you didn't want. Let Grandma's song be represented by people who enjoy singing publicly. There's nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all."

"I'm starting to feel like there is."

"Of course there isn't," Jack added, coming into the kitchen. "You did exactly right. If you really wanted to be a singer, if you really wanted that whole life, we'd let you have it, help you get it—with misgivings—but we'd support you. You don't want it. Unless you suddenly changed your mind on us, Amy?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't. It's... I really can't wait until the guys are gone and Heartland gets back to normal. I am so sick of the chaos and the insanity and the messes and the pranks. I really just want them out of the dude ranch and far away from my paddocks."

Lou heard something behind her and looked back. Kendall cleared his throat. "Um... I just came to let you all know that the musicians are gone, Marco is gone, Mr. X is gone, and Kelly says she booked us on a return flight that leaves tomorrow. I'll just... be going now."

Amy winced. "Kendall, I—"

"No worries," he called over his shoulder, leaving the ranch house almost at a run.

Amy shook her head again before dropping it back down on the table. Jack shrugged, filling a travel mug with coffee before he went outside. Lou looked at her sister. "No one blames you for being a bit frustrated right now. But things are getting back to normal. You heard him. All of the show business people are gone, and the boys will be leaving soon."

"Yeah, I know."

"It'll be okay, Amy. Things will work out for the best."

---

"You know that she didn't mean it like that," Jack began as he came up to the kid next to the fence. The kid was supposed to be out with the others on the trail ride, but Jack figured he'd stayed behind to see to the details of everything that he'd mentioned back in the house.

"Yes, she did, but that's okay," Kendall disagreed. He forced a smile. "All and all, we got lucky. No one else would have been even half as understanding about the chaos that follows us wherever we go. I'm not surprised. I'm just happy it worked out as much as it did. We got the training we had to do done. We had to do chores and learn some responsibility. Big Time Rush got access to new fans and new songs. The music video turned out well, so that will make Gustavo, Marco, Kelly, and Mr. X happy. Logan got help with his fear of horses. James had a reason to wear his bandanas. Carlos got to ride his 'horsies.' Jo and Camille got to watch us make idiots of ourselves, so they had plenty of entertainment, and Jo got to do a song with us, which won't hurt her career, either. Katie managed to find herself some talent to manage—that girl Mallory's father is a singer, who knew?—so she's happy. Mom got to be pursued and flirted with shamelessly—even if it was by a sleazy cowboy like Tim Fleming, so she got to feel beautiful and desirable—which she is. The big director got his location. Lou got exposure for her equestrian retreat. Amy got exposure for her work with the horses. Ty won the prize in the talent contest. Everyone wins. Well... except maybe you, since you didn't want any of us or the show business people here in the first place."

Jack grunted. He still wasn't thrilled about the show business people, though the kids weren't that bad, this one especially. He had a decent head on his shoulders, was pretty responsible. "I guess what I get out of all of this is seeing someone show love for my wife's music again. It's always been important to my family, but now it matters to more than those of us that live on this land."

Kendall smiled more genuinely this time. "Well, there you go. You got something out of it, too."

Jack fixed him with a hard look. "You never mentioned what you got out of it, either."

"Oh, me? Some almost quality time with my girlfriend, being able to ride a horse and not a pony from some state fair, time away from the studio with my friends, and guitar lessons," the boy answered, and Jack couldn't help noticing the way he qualified all of his statements, except the guitar lesson bit.

"Is that all?"

"Random advice from a cowboy guru?" the kid added helpfully, and Jack shook his head. He was pushing his buttons now, and Jack could do without that.

"Come on, kid," Jack said. "You're supposed to be out on the trails like everyone else."

"I had a few things to finish. It's no big deal," the kid agreed. He shrugged. Jack wasn't sure that even realized what he'd said or how much he was giving up. "I really don't need a trail ride. I'm good. Thanks."

"Maybe it's my intention to give you more advice before you leave, and as I recall, you still have a list of rules that you agreed to that say you need to come with me when I give you an order like this."

"Right," the kid winced a little. "So... Um... I don't suppose that there is any chance that there might be a hay ride later, is there?"

"A hay ride?" Jack asked, studying the kid. "Now I seem to recall some words from your mother regarding that particular subject. Such as you were not going to get one?"

Kendall nodded. "I know. I know. But... even if I don't go, what's a trip to a cowboy camp without a hay ride, right?"

"You doing this for yourself or for your friends?"

"Well, if I can't go, then I guess it's for them, but I still want to go and could probably find a way around my mother, but if I can't or people won't let me, then it is for them," the kid answered. He shrugged again. "Can the rest of them still have the hay ride?"

"How badly do you want this thing?"

"Uh... Is this a new clause for the rules? Because I'm not sure there's much wiggle room left."

Jack shook his head. "I've got a new project in mind for you. Maybe a new rule or two..."

"Two?"

---

"This is nice," Jo said, leaning her head against Kendall's chest in the back of the wagon. He combed his fingers through her hair. She was right. It was nice. It was the perfect way to spend their last night at Heartland, looking up at the stars from the back of a hay wagon. Cowboy camp hadn't been as bad as everyone thought it would be, and they had survived. "I thought we weren't going to get a night like this."

"My mom certainly wasn't going to let it happen," Kendall agreed. "I'm still not entirely sure how she got talked into this—without having her own ride with Tim—and I guess I'm just glad that she didn't take this ride with him."

"It's a bit... too romantic, right?"

"It is for us," he said, and then looked around. "For Logan and Camille, Ty and Amy, even Lou and Scott."

"Well, Carlos and James could snuggle together if they wanted," Jo began, laughing a little. "Though James would have to compete with Carlos' stuffed horse from Marco. Or maybe Mallory. She keeps looking like she might try replacing that horse."

"I think James would much rather he'd been able to persuade Soraya to into coming with him," Kendall said. He saw the way that James was moping, also the way he kept looking at Katie, and took a deep breath. "I guess it's not as much fun for either of them, with all of the rest of us paired off like this. Maybe we should do something else. Something fun and together for our last night here."

"I like this, a lot," Jo admitted. She leaned over to kiss him. "But you're right. Let's do something as a group."

Kendall smiled at her as he sat up a little. "Hey, guys, I was just thinking. We should do something fun to mark our last night here."

"What, build a campfire and sing kumbaya while we make s'mores?" James asked a bit sarcastically. "Maybe we should get me and Carlos some blow up dolls?"

"You know that being single doesn't have to define you. There is a lot more to James Diamond or Carlos Garcia than being a single guy. You don't even like having a girlfriend, James. And Carlos... Well, that's... The point is, we're still all friends, right? And we've got Katie and our friends from Heartland here, too. It's not all about... committed relationships. We're Big Time Rush, and we have fun no matter what we're doing. And if the hay ride isn't fun for 'single' people, then let's do something to make it fun for everyone."

"Are we going to have sing now? Because I'm not really sure I want to sing in the back of a wagon," Logan began, coming up for air from a make out session with Camille.

Kendall wasn't really sure what he was going to get everyone to do to make the hay ride fun and convince the single people that they weren't missing out on anything. Singing was usually a good idea, but since James and Logan both didn't seem to like that idea, maybe they needed something else. "Well, I'm not really sure. We could sing, if people wanted, but we don't have to. No one is making us sing."

"That's not entirely true. Jack Bartlett did give us all... homework."

"Yeah, he did," Kendall agreed, thinking of the song lyrics they were supposed to have when they came back to film their spot in the big movie. They'd all gotten the start of one of Lyndy's songs and been told to come up with the rest of it. Kendall knew that some of them weren't going to take it seriously; they'd just write something stupid, anything they could put on the paper. He wasn't sure what he was going to do. He wanted to do justice to the song because it was good. And then he had the other "rules" to worry about, like keeping up with the guitar lessons and being Jack's liaison with the director and the other show business "types." You may be young, kid, but you know how to handle these people without getting caught up in their crap. You deal with them; they get to stay. Kendall had insisted on being able to bring his friends back with him if he had to do it, though of course they'd have a choice in whether or not they came with. He was going to be here, though. He'd given his word.

"So... We really going to do that?"

"I am," Kendall told them. He knew that they might not understand, and he probably had given up too much to have one hay ride, but he thought it just might be worth it. "But I suppose you don't have to."

"And you're coming back before we actually have to be on set to be the go-between?"

"I kind of owe Jack a lot, and it's not that bad up here," Kendall explained. He pulled Jo close to him and looked up at the sky again. "I could do this every night, for instance."

"You so went native," James muttered. He leaned towards Mallory. "But... I wouldn't mind taking a girl or two out for one of these rides myself."

Mallory pushed him away in disgust, still not happy about being his second choice. Carlos shrugged. "I want to ride more horses. That was fun."

Logan started to say something, but Camille cut him off, and everyone laughed. Kendall waited for the laughter to die down again. "So... do we want to sing?"