Chapter 11: And It's Only Been Three Days
Bryce awoke to a loud bang, feeling relaxed. For most people this would be a good thing, but for people like Bryce it's torture. Slowly propping himself forward he ran his fingers through his thick hair and let out a wide yawn. Staring down at his right hand he saw it wrapped in bandages, Well at least that's taken care of. Looking around the room he saw a tray containing two fried egg sandwiches, a pastry, and a glass of apple juice. He thought, I wonder where they get their apple juice from, as he chuckled to himself.
Laying just to the side of this tray were his clothes, free of any dirty spots and neatly folded, along with all his belongs. Quickly looking under the blanket that covered him, Bryce saw his bare essentials in all their glory. "Ahh fur duck's zake," he said as he jumped up and rushed over to the table.
As Bryce was getting his few clothes on, he heard talking through the walls in Applebloom's room. He decided not to listen in on this one after what he had heard the last time. Just as Bryce was getting into his cargo shorts the door to the guest room opened revealing the orange one.
Applejack flinched when she saw the human standing there. After collecting herself she said, "G...good, you're awake. Hurry up and eat your breakfast. When you're done come on downstairs so we can talk, and bring the tray down with yuh." Applejack then left, closing the door behind her.
Bryce had been staring down at the floor. Hearing what she had said, however, set his mind ablaze. Ahh shit. What are they going to talk about? Well obviously it's about what I've been doing since I got here. Bryce started to tense up. And they're probably gonna yell at me too. Shit. He sat down on the bed and started pulling at his hair. Damn it Bryce you've really fucked up now.
A few minutes later Bryce decided to just face the music. Sluggishly eating the sandwiches, and downing the apple juice, he bit into the apple pastry. After only one bite he lost interest in it and put it back on the tray. Bryce then picked up the tray and opened the bedroom door.
Walking at a slow pace Bryce tried to get himself as ready as he possibly could for the verbal thrashing he was probably going to receive. With every step he took, however, only made him that much more nauseated. As he reached the top of the stairs his feet felt heavier than lead. Taking a few deep breaths Bryce made his descent down the wooden steps, the planks groaning under his massive weight.
When he reached the last few steps he found Granny Smith and Applejack sitting close together and taking amongst themselves. When they noticed Bryce they immediately went silent. Well Bryce...this is it. Time to get scolded by a pair of horse things.
There was silence between the three, none of them knowing what to say. Both of the ponies stared at the large human. Bryce did his best to avoid looking either one of them in the eyes.
After what seemed like hours Granny Smith flatly stated, "Bryce, take that tray into the kitchen. Then Ah want yuh ta came back in here and sit down."
Bryce did as Granny Smith had told him. When he came back he sat down on the floor across from the pair with his legs crossed on the floor in front of him.
Granny Smith was the first to speak again, "Bryce, we need to talk about what's happened."
Bryce looked down at the floor, no where close to ready to be berated.
"Now dear don't get too upset we just wanna talk to yuh. Applejack, you tell him."
Applejack crossed her forelegs, "Yeah, maybe you do."
Granny Smith shot Applejack a look.
"Uh, Ah mean yeah. We're just here ta talk to yuh." She forced a smile.
Yeah, yeah we both know how you really feel, just go on and say it.
Granny Smith spoke up, "Bryce, we've both talked with Applebloom, she's told us everything you've told her."
Bryce opened his mouth to speak but couldn't find the words to express his feelings.
"Now Ah'm gonna ask yuh something, and Ah want yuh ta tell us the truth. Does the fact that we can talk disturb you?"
Bryce slowly nodded, not wanting to look up at the pale green mare.
"But that's not the only problem now is it?"
He shook his head. For cripes sake go on and start the yelling.
Granny Smith took notice of his unease, "Look, Bryce, we're not here to yell at yuh, we just wanna talk about the past two days."
Bryce didn't say anything. He knew what he wanted to say, he just couldn't put it into words.
There was a long pause. "Well for starters let's talk about..."
Applejack cut in, "For starters where do you get off saying those kinduh words to mah sister?"
Bryce spoke up, "Verds like wat?"
"Don't yuh go playin all innocent now, you know what yuh said. That word for a girl dog."
"Wat, vitch?'
Applejack growled in her throat, "Yeah, that one. What makes yuh think you can say stuff like that to a filly?"
"Wat's da big zeal, it's just uh verd."
"Ah don't care, she's just a little filly. She can't go around sayin stuff like that."
"Oh duck zu."
Granny Smith had had enough and came between their screaming match, "Applejack, Bryce, both of yuh just shut up, you're both acting like foals!!!"
Both human and mare jumped back at the aged mare's intrusion.
After catching her breath, the aged mare said, "Now Bryce that is a good point, yuh can't go around sayin words like that, most especially to a foal."
Bryce scratched the back of his head.
She then turned to Applejack, "And Applejack Ah've already talked ta yuh about this. Don't go off and blow your top, that's one of the reasons we're in this mess now. Now go back over there and sit your flank down.
Applejack walked back over to her seat. "Ugh, yes ma'am," she said as she crossed her forelegs in front of her again.
"Now Bryce Ah just want yuh ta sit there and listen ta what we have ta say."
Bryce nodded, swallowing his loogie.
When everyone was settled down Granny Smith spoke again, "Now where was Ah...oh yes. Bryce Ah want ta talk about yesterday, about those stallions."
Bryce continued to stare at the floor. I was only doing what I thought was right. I couldn't just stand by a let them take money from these nice...horse things. Well at least two of them are.
Applejack butted in, "Yeah, what the hay was that..."
She was cut off when Granny Smith smacked her on the back of the head, "Applejack hush, Ah'm the one talking here. Just let him explain himself."
Both ponies turned their attention to Bryce. Is...is that my cue? Am I supposed to be talking now? "Uh...Uh did it becuz they were going ta rub zu."
They both raised an eyebrow, "They were going ta 'rub' us?"
"No nut rub, rub."
"Rub?"
"No, rub!"
"Rub?"
"Rub!"
"Rub?"
"UGH, R, U, B. RUB!!! Ahh damn it!"
Granny Smith stepped in, "Bryce, maybe you should say it another way."
"UK, they were going ta deal...no they were gunna dick your money...ugh son of uh..." Bryce took a deep breath and as articulately as possibly said, "Uh zopped...them from...daking...yur money."
Granny Smith was confused, "Well of course they were gonna take our money, they said they needed it for their fee."
Bryce grunted, "No, they were z...z...zzz...it vus uh fraud."
"Uh...fraud."
"Yez, uh fraud. They were dieves...UK. They...were going...ta 'rob' you."
Both of the ponies were beyond words. Applejack spoke first, "Now how did yuh know they were here ta do that?"
"Uh...Uh just did..."
Applejack pressed on, "Come on now yuh had ta know somehow, so let's hear it."
Bryce turned away, "Uh just...did."
"But Ah don't get..."
"Applejack...just leave'm alone about it!"
Applejack dropped the issue, "Well what about after that, when yuh were bashing that old stallion?"
Bryce didn't look up, "Wu...wut about it?"
"It...it looked like you were about ta kill that feller."
"Uh...uh..." Shit...how do I respond to that? He crossed his arms in front of his chest, "Uh...in druth...Uh vanted to...Uh had...Uh had uh kni...his knife to his throat...After he said he vas goin ta...ta kill the vell aged one Uh...Uh vanted to..." Bryce wiped the tears away that were beginning to drip from his eyes, "But Uh didn't...Uh...Uh couldn't." Not again. Bryce began to cry.
Granny Smith got up and walked over to the boy, making sure Applejack didn't try to interfere. Wrapping her hooves around his neck she whispered in his ear, "Bryce, Bryce, don't cry now. The big part is that you didn't."
"Uh...Uh just vanted to so...so badly."
"Shh...shh, Ah know, but yuh didn't."
Applejack still wasn't convinced, "Well, why'd yuh let go then?"
"He zid he vas zorry...and he promised ta never...ta never do it again."
Applejack facehoofed, "Yuh don't really expect him ta follow through, do yuh?"
"Uh know he meant it."
"But that doesn't..."
"Uh know!...He meant it!"
Applejack decided not to press the issue, "Well yuh better have been right cause we let'em go. But how can yuh say couldn't kill him when yuh came close ta killin me and my sister?"
"Uh...Uh...Uh thought yuh vere un of them."
"How could yuh think something like that?"
"Vell, yuh did vneak up behind me."
Applejack blushed from embarrassment, Well...he could at least say he was sorry.
"Uh'm...Uh'm zorry fur almost killin zu."
OK...he didn't apologize for Applebloom, and Ah'm still upset about her not listening ta me.
"Just...don't be mad at Spout. Uh mean, if it hadn't been fur her zu'd be...zu'd be zed."
Uhh...OK then. She scratched the back of her head.
"Culd...culd yuh please let go of me now?"
Granny Smith unhooked herself from the human. At that moment a dog started barking and scratching at the front door causing Bryce to cover his ears, "Bryce calm down, it's just Winona."
Bryce shouted back, "Vell her barkin is hurtin mah ears!"
"Applejack, go out there and try ta calm her down."
Applejack jumped up and opened the door. Instantly the Border Collie ran in. When the small dog caught sight of Bryce she cowered down, tucking her tail and letting out a low growl as she scooted back. Bryce stood up with his back pressed against the wall, his hand held open art the dog, "There, there. Nice cagna, nice little cagna."
Granny Smith called Applejack back over. Drawing close to her ear she whispered, "Applejack, while Bryce's caught up with Winona, let's you and me go upstairs and talk about this."
"But what if something happens?"
"Don't worry, Ah'm sure everything will be fine, now come on up with me."
"Well...if yuh say so." Anything ta get me away from that huge man or whatever Applebloom called'em.
As both mares got to the staircase, Granny Smith called out, "Bryce, Applejack and Ah are gonna go upstairs for uh minute. If anything happens you'll know where we'll be."
"If...if yuh say so, just hurry up. This dog's lookin at me like Uh'm uh pair uh Meat Bone slippers!"
"OK dear, play nice now." They both went up.
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Earlier...
As soon as Big Macintosh was gone, Applejack pointed a hoof at Applebloom, "When yuh get done with breakfast Ah want yuh ta go straight up to your room."
"What, why?"
"We're not getting inta this again. You go straight upstairs and don't yuh come out till either granny or Ah tell yuh it's safe."
"Ugh, OK."
When Applebloom finished her meal Winona jumped up and ran after the filly. Applejack grabbed the dog by the knap of her neck and threw her outside, shutting the door behind her with a heavy sigh.
Applebloom did as she was told, slamming the door shut behind her. With nothing else to do the filly jumped up onto her bed and lied there, her head turned towards the window. A minute later the door opened. Applebloom rolled over to find her older sister standing there with a serious look on her face.
"Applebloom, the past two days you've gone against me on almost everything Ah've told yuh to do. This time yuh better listen ta me or else you're gonna go ta bed hungry tonight. Now granny and Ah are gonna talk to that feller in the other room..."
"But Applejack..." When she noticed Applejack's eyes squint she chose to keep quiet and look down at the floor.
"Now Ah don't know how long we're gonna be, so settle in." Feeling she had finally gotten the point home Applejack closed the door.
Applebloom let out a huff and buried her face in a pillow. Within five minutes she heard heavy hoofsteps outside her room, Wait...that's not Big Mac. Hopping down off her bed she opened the door a crack to see just who it was. She was almost surprised to see Bryce standing at the top of the stairs with a tray in his hands. Applebloom thought about calling out to him, but didn't fearing Applejack was more than serious about her going to bed without supper. Instead she just sat and watched as Bryce slowly made his way downstairs.
With Bryce out of sight, the filly felt more bored than she had ever felt in her short life. Quietly shutting the door, Applebloom resolved to look out the window and try to find shapes in the clouds the pegasi pushed within the vicinity of the farm.
After almost thirty minutes not being able to form anything from the fluffy objects, the yellow filly heard hoofsteps outside her room again, these more familiar to her.
Silently running back over to the door, Applebloom again opened it a crack to find granny and her sister talking. She had to strain to hear them since they were talking in hushed whispers.
"Granny, you're not really buying his story are yuh?"
"Believe it or not Applejack, Ah do."
"Yuh...you're kiddin right? There's no way he coulduh just 'knew' they were here ta rob us."
"Well what reason would he have ta lie about it, those other three just came outta nowhere when Bryce showed up."
"Wait, what do yuh mean those other three."
"Ah mean those three brawny colts without the suits, when Bryce showed they just came out from nowhere, and believe me, they didn't look like there were here for an honest day's work."
Applejack was trying to make sense of this new information, "So you're saying those two in the suits showed up first?"
"Yes, then they said uh relative of ours had died and left us a uh lot of bits."
"Did they say which one?"
"No. Neither one of 'em would even say when they died, only that they needed 500 bits for their fee before we could even see any bits. And until Bryce came from out back Ah believed them."
"What was he doing back there?"
"Chopping wood, Ah..."
Applejack yelled out in surprise, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks, "What?"
"He was chopping wood, Ah was just givin him somethin ta keep him occupied."
"But what if he had came back and chopped you up instead?"
"Applejack, Ah'm startin ta think yuh have it in for him now. He was out there for more than two hours, if he wanted ta he'd uh done it."
"Yeah well...," Applejack couldn't think of a good comeback ta this and scratched the back of her head. "He still could have."
"Well he didn't now did he?" Applejack was speechless, "Ah know he could have done it, but he didn't now did he?"
"Well he still..."
"No, Ah asked yuh if he did. Now did he or didn't he?"
"Ugh, no ma'am. But what about when he 'almost did it ta me? And Applebloom?"
"Well he was right about that, yuh did sneak up on him. From his point of view yuh could have been one of those five from yesterday. And if Applebloom hadn't jumped in when she did you would have gotten yourself killed, now wouldn't yuh?"
Applejack's response was to rub the back of her neck, "That may be, but she's been disobeying me at every turn for the past two days now."
"Ah know, and she was wrong to do that, but if she hadn't done it yesterday then her not listening to yuh would be the least of your worries. Now look this is getting beside the point. In your opinion, do you think he was being honest?"
Applejack didn't answer.
"Applejack, answer me."
"He...he..." Applejack snorted, "It didn't sound like he was lying. But that doesn't mean he isn't dangerous. Ah mean he won't even look either of us in the eye."
"Ah know that, Ah'll listen to yuh on that regard, but Ah think he was being honest. Now Ah'm gonna say this next part, and Ah know you're gonna hate hearing it, but he's gonna stay here."
"Oh no, yuh can't be..."
"Oh yes Ah am. After all he did yesterday ta help us we at least can give him a place ta stay, provided he's willin ta help pull his own weight around the farm. Now come on, let's go back downstairs before Winona takes a bite outta Bryce." Granny Smith trotted back to the stairs.
"Ugh fine, but let me ask yuh something first. Why are yuh fightin for him so much?"
Granny Smith stopped without looking back, "Ah really don't know, he just seems trustworthy." The aged mare started her descent, "Now come on before..."
Applejack rushed over, "Before what granny?"
"Now that's the darnest thing."
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Bryce was sitting downstairs, gently petting Winona along her back. Suddenly Bryce stopped and started scratching Winona on her belly, "Right there?"
Winona's answered by shaking her back leg.
"Yep, that's duh spot. Right there."
"Now that's the darnest thing."
Bryce looked up to find Granny Smith at the top of the stairs. His expression dampened when he saw Applejack come up on the heels of the pale green mare, "What is?!" Applejack's expression was the same as Granny Smith's when she saw Bryce and Winona together. "Ho...ho...how...?" There's...there's no way in Tartarus.
Both ponies quickly made the rest of the way down, beyond belief at Winona's sudden found tolerance for the human. Bryce could only stare down at their hooves.
"Uhm, Uh...Uh..."
"Bryce, how...?"
"Uhm, we...tucked."
"You what dear?"
"We...spoke."
Both ponies were confused. Applejack spoke up next, "What...what do yuh mean yuh spoke?"
"Zu know...to eachutter..."
Both ponies watched as Winona curled up on Bryce's lap and went to sleep.
After standing there watching the small dog sleep for a full minute Applejack said, "Ah...Ah need ta...go applebuck or...somethin?" She made her way for the door.
"Hey...unge un?" Applejack stopped. "If zu go down duh hill, where we met, you'll find my zues on an vallen tree. Could zu bring em back fur me?"
"Uh...sure...wh...whatever." Applejack pushed the door open to do her applebucking for the day.
With Applejack gone that left Granny Smith alone with Bryce. "Br...Bryce? How did yuh manage ta do that?"
"We tucked." Granny Smith face showed she didn't understand, "Zu know..." He wave hand back and forth in front of his mouth.
"O...OK then." Granny Smith brought her mind back to the subject at hand, "Bryce we've decided ta let yuh stay here. Now before yuh get excited know that we'll only let yuh stay here if yuh pull your weight. That means we're gonna have yuh do chores around the farm. Do you understand?"
Bryce nodded.
"Now then, go on and get ready. You can start by finishing with the wood out back."
Bryce nodded.
Granny Smith turned her attention to the top of the stairs, where a familiar pink bow was sticking out, "And you can come on out now Applebloom, it's safe now."
Applebloom lifted her head up far enough for both Granny Smith and Bryce to see her face, "O...OK granny." She trotted down the stairs and stood before them both, "Is Bryce really staying with us?"
Bryce said, "If ya'll vill let me."
"Why are yuh talkin like that?"
"Uh bit mah dung."
"Are yuh all right?"
Bryce roughly petted her on the head as he held in a laugh, "Don't worry kid, Uh'll be vine."
Applebloom then jumped up and wrapped her hooves around his thick neck.
Bryce returned the sentiment by hugging the small filly as hard as he could without hurting her too much.
Granny Smith stood there and watched, smiling the entire time.
Bryce could feel tears running down his cheeks.