DISCLAIMER: All the characters, except Anne Spencer, belong to CBS, MGM, etc. No profit has been made and there is certainly no copyright infringement intended. Anne and this story are products of my own twisted mind.

NOTE: This is my first attempt at fanfic. This story had been running around in my head for awhile and after I read the work done by some others, I decided to get all my thoughts down on paper. If I make some mistakes with geography or characters I love to fix them. I'd really appreciate feedback, especially about introducing the character of Anne Spencer. She may just be part of a three-story arc. I'm not exactly sure what she wants to do so I'd love some ideas.

It was late afternoon. Chris and Vin were headed to the saloon when they saw three gorgeous horses tied up outside the general store. The tallest was a stallion, almost completely black. The mare looked similar but with white patches on the backs of both ears. The smallest was a colt that was a uniform dark gray. They were laden with a few supplies and saddlebags. The two men walked across the street to get a better look. These kinds of animals were unusual in a small town like Four Corners. Few people could afford such horses.

Vin began to pat the stallion.

"These animals musta cost a fortune, Chris. You seen them around before?"

"No. Must be someone new in town. Pretty well off by the look of it." the older man replied as he admired the workmanship of the saddle.

Both men looked up as Mary Travis and a young woman walked out of the store. Neither of the men recognized the young lady. She was rather tall with thick auburn hair and she was wearing a split skirt meant for riding.

"Well, thank you for your help Mrs. Travis"

"Please, call me Mary." The young lady just smiled and nodded. Both women noticed Vin and Chris and walked over.

Vin and Chris stepped aside as the young lady came to let the beautiful black stallion eat something out of her hand while whispering in its ear. She looked up and Mrs. Travis said, "Mr. Larabee, Mr. Tanner let me introduce you to Anne Spencer. Anne, Chris Larabee and Vin Tanner."

"You have some beautiful horses, Miss Spencer.", said Vin as the stallion finished whatever Anne had been feeding him and began to nose around his coat.

"You must've mentioned that to Gawain here. You've certainly gotten on his good side and the best way to do that is to stroke his vanity. Don't worry, he's just looking for some more ginger snaps." said Anne as Gawain began to nudge the former bounty hunter more vigorously.

"Stop bothering Mr. Tanner, love. I've got some more right here." Anne began to pull some more cookies out of a bag and Gawain immediately lost interest in Vin's coat.

"How old is the colt, Miss Spencer?", asked Chris.

"Smoke is about seven months. He was my father's favorite. And the lady of the group is Alexandra. She's Gawain's sister." Anne began to stroke the mare. "I'm gonna run and get cleaned up. You guys be good." She turned to Mrs. Travis.

"Thanks again Mary. Mr. Tanner. Mr. Larabee." Miss Spencer nodded to them all and walked off in the direction of the hotel.

"Where would a young woman on her own get horses like these?", wondered Vin.

"Anne tells me her father was head trainer at a very large horse ranch in Southern Minnesota. When he died she was left the horses that he owned. Apparently he was quite well known for his skill with breeding.", explained Mrs. Travis.

"Spencer.... Spencer... I recognize the name. He used to show and sell horses all over. I saw him once at a county fair in Indiana. People said that he talked to his animals and they understood. So that's his daughter." said Chris. He sounded somewhat impressed although it was hard to tell from his usual stoic expression. "Is she planning to stay in town?"

"I'm not sure.", answered Mary. "She did ask where the livery was. I hope she decides to stay awhile. She seems a very nice young woman. Well, gentleman, I have some work to do." She inclined her head and went off toward her office.

Chris began to continue on to the saloon. When he noticed that Vin wasn't following he turned and said, "You plannin on joining me, cowboy?" Vin turned suddenly as if Chris had interrupted his thoughts.

 "Yeah.", he replied and both men walked into the saloon.

* * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * ** ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Chris and Vin were still in the saloon about an hour later. Buck and J.D. had joined them for a hand of poker.

"When are Nathan and Josiah getting back from the reservation?", asked Buck.

"Nathan said that since the injuries to that girl were serious they shouldn't get back until tomorrow.", answered Chris when a young boy came running into the saloon.

The men recognized him as one of the stable boys from the livery. "Some fool lady bet Mr. Langley that she could mount that new horse he bought. He took her up on it and now she's gonna get herself killed." The boy ran back outside, obviously not wanting to miss seeing someone get thrown around.

Some men in the saloon just laughed. Nobody was fool enough to mess with that devil of a horse, certainly not a woman. Chris and Vin just looked at each other and got up to follow the boy.

"I hate it when they do that.", said Buck. J.D. laughed and went after Buck as he followed the other men to the corral behind the livery.

By the time they all arrived a large crowd had gathered around to see the spectacle. Anne Spencer had climbed over the fence and was slowly approaching an enormous chestnut horse. That horse had become infamous in town because it was such a stupid buy on the part of the livery. Few people could get near him and those who had actually gotten on had been immediately thrown to the ground.

J.D. caught sight of Ezra and pointed him out to the others. It was no surprise to see him placing some wagers. Chris just shrugged his shoulders and all the men returned their attention to the young lady as she drew closer to the horse.

"It's certainly not helping to have this large crowd around", said Vin as he watched the scene with concern.

Anne was only about a foot away from the animal when she raised her arms. The horse looked at her with curiosity. She got close enough to touch the horse and everyone held their breath. She began to stroke the horse and speak in a low voice. The livery owner's smile dropped away when he saw that the animal didn't seem to mind the young woman. In fact, the horse began to nuzzle her shoulder. She continued to speak into its ear and then she slowly grabbed ahold of the horse's mane and swung herself onto his back.

The animal looked somewhat stunned that someone was on him but he didn't look angry. Anne kept rubbing the animal's neck until she slowly slid herself down. She walked to the horse's head and kissed him on the nose before approaching the livery owner and putting out her hand. He looked somewhat chagrined as he handed over five dollars.

Some of the people in the crowd cheered while others looked disappointed that nothing had happened. Anne climbed over the fence and gave Ezra a smile before she went inside the stables with the owner of the livery. Chris and Vin looked at each other and at the other two men. Buck was laughing and J.D. just looked stunned. All the men turned as Ezra walked over thumbing through a small pile of bills.

"Well, gentlemen, that was an extremely profitable little encounter."

"Why in the world did you bet on that girl?", exclaimed J.D. knowing that Ezra rarely risked his money unless he was sure of the return.

"I was on my way to partake in some liquid refreshment when I heard some raised voices coming from inside the livery. I entered only to find that the livery owner was making a bet with a lovely young woman. It seemed that five dollars had been wagered over her ability to mount that questionable horse. As she walked by I asked why in heaven's name she wished to approach such an animal and she said it was the only way that she could gain employment with the livery. As our discussion continued I grew increasingly aware that she was extremely confidant in her abilities. I surmised from her behavior that her confidence was not unfounded. Betting the money was not such a great risk." Ezra ended his little speech with a smile and continued to count the money as Anne Spencer came out of the stable with a smile on her face.

"I'm glad to see that you are happy with your bet, Mr. Standish. I expect you won against some great odds."

"You performed impeccably Miss Spencer. I shall have to buy you a drink. May I also introduce you to J.D. Dunne and Buck Wilmington?", answered the gambler.

Buck tipped his hat and J.D. asked, "That was amazing, Miss! How did you do that?"

"I just told him that I thought he was a wonderful horse and that I would appreciate it if he'd let me on his back for a bit. I was somewhat nervous about all the people gathering around but nothing could be done about that. Now Mr. Langley has hired me to train his horse and that kind of publicity should bring me other work.", Anne said.

"That was very impressive, Miss Spencer. Your father must've taught you well." said Chris.

"You know of him? My Da was the best horseman in five states.", replied Anne as she beamed with pride.

"Where will you stay, Miss Spencer?", asked Vin.

"Mr. Langley is providing me with a room above his tack room. If I continue to work for him it might bring in some business to his stables since I have been trained to care for many common horse illnesses."

"Yes, if he has someone of your skill, more people will bring their business here. Very shrewd of you, Miss Spencer. May I escort you to your rooms? It is becoming quite late." Ezra offered his arm and Anne Spencer took it with a laugh.

"Thank you Mr. Standish. I would like that. Good Evening, gentlemen." Anne bestowed a smile on all of them before she walked away with Ezra. Buck turned to watch them go and began to chuckle again.

"I can't wait to see Langley's face when it gets around that he lost five dollars to a woman in a bet."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Early the next morning Vin planned to take a short ride to clear his head. As he approached the stables he heard a soft alto voice coming from one of the stalls. Anne Spencer was brushing Gawain and singing to him softly while she worked. When she caught sight of him she smiled as he tipped his hat.

"Good Morning Mr. Tanner. I was just planning on taking him for a ride to look around. Would you like to join me?"

Vin agreed and got his horse ready. As they passed the limits of the town, it seemed as though a large weight had lifted from his shoulders. Anne got a glint in her eye and said to her mount, "You sure are fidgety today, love. Let's have a run." Without warning, Anne spurred the horse on and the animal sprinted for the horizon. Vin smiled and urged his horse to follow.

They raced like this for a few miles until the horses began to gleam with sweat.

Both riders got down to walk the horses. They walked in companionable silence until Vin asked, "I hear you're from Minnesota."

"Yes. I worked with my father until he passed away. I stayed on for awhile but eventually I just had to get away."

"You sound a little homesick."

"There only one thing I really miss, other than my Da. Every once in awhile I’d ride up to my grandparent's house. There was this spot just past their property that was an old growth forest. The trees were huge and the leaves were so thick that it was always cool and shadowy. I used to go and sit for hours, just listening to the sound of quiet. It was like a cathedral. It was so peaceful to have no one around to intrude..... I'm sorry. I do start to ramble."

"That's alright. I know exactly what you mean.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The next morning Josiah and Nathan were busy putting supplies away in the makeshift hospital while J.D. described last night's events with great enthusiasm.

"And then she just slipped off and the horse barely twitched. It was amazing."

"That horse did seem possessed at times. It's too bad we missed it all.", said Josiah.

"Well, if she's experienced with horse medicine I’d really like to speak with her.", said the young healer. Just then Anne and Vin entered the room.

"Nathan, Josiah, I'd like you to meet Anne Spencer. Anne, this is the famous doctor I told you about.", said Vin indicating Nathan with a smile.

"I'm no such thing, ma'am. It's very nice to meet you though. J.D. was just telling us of your demonstration last night."

"Well, I'm sure he's embellished it quite a bit. I'm pleased to meet both of you. Vin tells me that you have quite good equipment here. I'd love to see all of it."

Nathan began to give Anne a tour of his facilities and the other men left them to pour over the various pieces. "She seems very charming, Vin.", said Josiah.

"She is."

The ex-preacher just smiled.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The next morning found Anne at Mary's home helping with the week's ironing and chatting away.

"So how do you like our little town so far, Anne?", asked Mary.

"It's been interesting. The people are a little wary of me but polite. But I was wondering about Mr. Larabee and the other men. They don't exactly strike me as a likely bunch to stay in one place for long."

Mary told the story of how this varied group of individuals came to stay in Four Corners and Anne nodded. "I see. That explains a lot."

"What do you think of them now that you know a little bit more?", asked the older woman.

Anne thought a bit before she answered. "Both Josiah and Nathan have been very nice. Nathan was kind enough to let me fiddle with some of his equipment. Mr. Dunne and Mr. Wilmington haven't been around much but Mr. Dunne reminds me of my brother with all of his enthusiasm. Mr. Larabee is somewhat intimidating but every one seems to respect him a lot. Ezra has been fun to talk to. It's very entertaining just to listen to him."

"And Mr. Tanner?"

"Vin reminds me of a horse that used to hang around our ranch. It was the most beautiful wild mustang. One morning we woke up to find this strange animal in the field. He was in pretty bad shape. Da figured that he'd been caught in a storm. We fixed him up and expected that he'd leave but he hung around for awhile and fathered a few colts. Then he'd disappear for weeks and then come back. It was like he was pulled in two directions."

"I expect that's a very accurate description of Mr. Tanner.", Mary said. Both the women began their work again, each absorbed in her own thoughts.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

That night Nathan and Anne were walking toward the livery, talking about some new surgical procedure, when the young stable boy came out. "Miss Spencer, Mr. Kyle was just here. He asked me to tell you that his mare has gone into labor and she’s not doing real good. He wants you to head out to his place."

"I'd be happy to assist, Miss Spencer.", offered Nathan.

"I'd be glad of it. Let's get on out there.", said Anne as she hurried into the stables.

As they were heading out to the Kyle place they came across Vin who had been gone for a couple of days for no particular reason.

"Where are you headed in such a hurry?", he asked.

"Mr. Kyle needs some help with a horse in labor. You wanna join us?", offered Nathan.

Vin nodded his assent and they resumed their quick pace.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

When the three of them entered the Kyle’s stable the mare was already sweating with effort as she lay in some hay. Anne rushed to the horse's side and placed her hands on the mare's belly. As she moved her palms across the mare a worried look stole over her face.

"The colt is faced the wrong way. I'm gonna have to help it turn around."

She moved over to a bucket of water to wash her hands while Nathan asked the worried rancher to run and get some rags. Anne rolled up her sleeves and directed the men to their tasks.

"Nathan, I'll need your help to keep the blood flow down. Vin, please hold her head and try to keep her as calm as possible."

The young woman reached her arms in to grab a hold of the young colt. As she slowly maneuvered the slippery mess, the rancher came back with some rags and Nathan began to apply pressure to some torn tissues. Anne was quite worried that the mother would lose too much blood or that the colt would become tangled and strangle itself. Then she heard Vin's soft, low voice as he spoke to the mare and she began to calm down and concentrate on her work. Their eyes met and Vin smiled before returning his attention back to the mare.

About fifteen minutes later a slick little bundle of legs slipped out and tried to stand up. The humans backed away, exhausted, to let the colt and his mother be. All of them were tired and a complete mess but they had large smiles as the mare began to lick her child.