Because I keep thinking about Outer Range, and I miss Rhett and the mountains, and maybe because I'm a little crazy, I decided to see where Wabang could be on the Wyoming map.
For preface, I lived on the foothills of the Rocky Mountains for 13 years (0-13yrs old). So I based my guesstimate on the visibility of the mountains and the terrain in the show. Also, I used the measurement tool on google maps, so measurements could be a mile or so off.
Anyway, I lived about 5.69mi (9.15km) from the Rocky Mountains, just noting that for reference. So, I placed Wabang around here somewhere.
I used the town "Elk" (seen on map) as a reference point. It's about 8.70mi (14.00km) from the foothills of the Teton Range. I'm thinking anywhere that it's very flat (anywhere that's a tan color) to be where Wabang could be, if not even on the light green areas where there's not too much texture.
Me, part of a fandom whose show got canceled after 2 seasons, an oc x canon shipper, not even shipping the main guy everyone ships, hoping to get an animatic out.
YES I am a Luke girlie. *slams the animatic on the table*
(My OC is called June, she’s the youngest Abbott sibling, and she’s very dear to me)
The scene where Cecilia called out, “Love you, Rhett” really warmed my heart 🥹 I wish we could have gotten some deeper scenes of Rhett with his parents.
Description: A lull between holidays allows some breathing room for Sam and Rhett to relax. When she comes down with a mystery stomach bug, it knocks her for six when she realises what it might also be...
Warning(s): language, mentions of vomiting and illness, descriptions of symptoms of anxiety, a little hurt but a lot of comfort, Cecilia Sees all.
[A/N: sorry for such a long gap between chapters, life this year has been nothing short of busy but I'm hoping to get back into this fic and see it through to the end! Also, extra special shoutout to @sebsxphia for being such a babe and keeping me motivated!! <3 - L]
-/-/-
November brought out the first touch of ice in Wabang. In the brief lull between Halloween and Thanksgiving, things had mellowed between Rhett and Sam, allowing them to find their routine and focus on getting everything ready for the Winter ahead.
Sam came around to a pair of heavy arms around her waist and the warmth of bare skin against her back. A soft, sleepy smile spread across her lips as she settled closer to him. Rhett seemed to sense she was awake and squeezed her a little closer, not wanting to let her go.
“Good mornin’,” he rasped against her ear, breaking her out in goosebumps despite the heat between them under the pile of blankets he insisted on sleeping under.
“Sure is…” she replied over her shoulder, eyes still half-closed, lacing her fingers through his. Rhett pressed gentle kisses along the back of her shoulder and neck, both of them unfurling like butterflies for the day ahead. Unfortunately, the rumble of Royal’s voice up the stairs to check they were alive broke the peace, pushing them to leave the warmth of their bed a little sooner.
The sharp, icy air had everyone’s noses and cheeks red as they made a start on the yard work and various repairs that needed seeing to. Since breakfast, Sam and Rhett hadn’t seen much of each other, just passing ships out on the yard or in search of a set of tools to use. Though she had to admit, she still wasn’t used to waking up in his arms, safe and warm. She hoped it would never wear off on her.
Sam was making what she hoped would be the final trip to her parent's house, borrowing a horse box from Royal and Cecilia to hitch on the back of her Jeep and to gather the last of her belongings. Heating cranked to high and a beanie pulled snug over her curls, she navigated her way back, unsure of what would await her when she got there.
“Hey, stranger,” Beau greeted when she’d climbed out, boots landing in the frozen dirt.
“Hi. I’ve come to get the last of my stuff, my horse and then I’ll be outta your hair.” He seemed to be on his way out to the paddock, so Sam carried on, into the house. The radio played in the kitchen and she was sure her other brothers would no doubt be around somewhere. Up in her room, she stood for a moment. The walls were now bare, her bed empty. No more pictures on the walls or trinkets scattered around. Just a few piles of clothes on the mattress ready to be moved. And Bobby Bear perched on top, long brown limbs dangling over the clothes.
It twisted a knife deep in her chest. To think about the last time her room had been even close to this level of bare. Moving out to live in Baton Rouge. But this time it was different. Better. She was leaving to live with Rhett. Something she never thought would happen after all that she went through with Owen.
Boxes filled with clothes and Bobby Bear, she began returning to the Jeep, hoping to make a clean getaway. She turned, shutting the door and was greeted by her mother standing on the porch.
“Hey -”
“Come t’ get the last ‘f your stuff?”
“Yeah,” she admitted quietly, hands pushed into the pockets of the Carharrt she’d borrowed from Rhett.
“Well, I’ll ask Wyatt t’ help y’ with gettin’ your horse sorted.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.” Her mother sighed and ran her hands through her hair.
“I know there’s nothin’ any ‘f us could say to keep you ‘round, I jus’ hope you’re happy with Rhett. Hope he’s treatin’ you right. If y’ ever need anythin’, don’t feel like y’ can’t ask, okay?” Sam nodded, an uncomfortable lump forming in her throat.
“Gonna miss y’all but I’ve gotta do what makes me happy. Rhett makes me happy. Safe, even. I’ll stay in touch,” she assured her with a nod and a watery smile. Her mother stepped inside and summoned Wyatt, Sam began making her way to the stables and gathering what she needed, leaving the horse til last, knowing it would take her and Wyatt to convince her to get in the horsebox.
“So, you’re really goin’ again?” he asked as he joined her at the stables, getting her horse ready as she returned from dropping the tack off at the box.
“Yeah. Think it might be f’ real this time though…”
“You like ‘im, huh?” Sam tried to fight the smile on her lips as she nodded, reaching for the reins.
“I really do. More than anythin’. He’s better f’ me than Owen ever was, I know that now.” It wasn’t lost on her that the universe had decided she needed to live through Owen before she deserved to have Rhett. And by God did she know that she deserved him now, after every bit of Hell Owen had put her through. She could finally be herself and let herself be loved the way she’d always needed.
They’d been walking to the horsebox when Wyatt spoke up again, breath fogging around his face in faint white clouds, “Well, m’ happy f’ you both. An’ I hope it works out.”
Sam turned to look at Wyatt with glassy eyes and a shaky smile.
“Thanks. That really means a lot.” Briefly, they stopped and for the first time since she’d come home, she hugged Wyatt. When they broke apart, she wiped at her eyes and they continued to the horsebox, loading her mare with relative ease.
“Promise you’ll keep in touch, right?”
“Promise.”
-/-/-
As the rest of the day progressed, Sam slowed down, an ache settling under her skin and pulling her through molasses with every step. Whether it was because the air was colder and the days were shorter or some other unseen forces were encroaching, she wasn’t sure but she stepped inside a little sooner than the rest, cheeks flush and hair a little windswept. Cecilia hadn’t long come in either, warming her hands up with a fresh mug of coffee but she smiled at Sam all the same.
“Hey,” Sam greeted, pulling her gloves off and removing her beanie. Her jacket was next to follow, hanging it up by the door and tucking the gloves and hat into her pockets to keep them safe.
“Hey, sweetheart, how’re you feelin’?” Sam joined her at the table for a moment and tried to will away the aches of the day. She replied with a nonplussed sigh and sank into her seat a little more.
“Feelin’ a little run-down?” Cecilia suggested, fingers gently tapping the side of her mug. Sam tried to remain focused and polite but the smell of the fresh coffee was beginning to make her stomach turn.
“Somethin’ like that,” she agreed quietly, rubbing at her eyes and letting out a slow breath.
“Y’know Amy was lookin’ a little grey when she came home earlier. Probably just the time ‘f year…”
“Probably,” Sam echoed back with a nod, “D’ you think they’d mind if I went upstairs a while?”
“No, not at all. Go get some shut-eye, might help y’ feel better,” Cecilia almost insisted and Sam took her chance to go upstairs and try to get some sleep. She changed out of her jeans for something looser fitting, to minimise her discomfort before tucking herself under the blankets and trying to get some rest.
It was fitful at best, but Sam managed almost an hour before Rhett appeared in the doorway, the light from the hall bleeding in around him. Through barely open eyes she watched him shuffle closer and perch on his side of the bed.
“Hey, Rose… Mom said you weren’t feelin’ too good,” he greeted softly, reaching a careful hand out to push some stray hairs from her face and trying to subtly press the back of his hand against her forehead, the way Cecilia used to when he was younger. He noted that she felt warmer than usual.
“M’ sorry, you were really excited about goin’ out tonight,” she pouted, voice quiet from the poor attempts at sleep.
“No, darlin’ don’t worry ‘bout that, you’re not well.” She reached for the hand that had now stopped to rest on her rosy cheek, fingers entwined with his. Her stomach cramped and made displeased gurgles, prompting her to curl in on herself a little more and seek Rhett’s comfort.
“C’mere -” Rhett’s boots hit the floor with a soft thud and his jacket just about made it over the foot of the bedpost so he could join her. Sam shifted slowly, so that Rhett could take up his role of big spoon, his large, warm hands resting on her lower stomach and his voice soft in her ear.
“Gotta take care ‘f my girl, huh? Make y’ feel all better.” It sounded like a promise, an unbreakable vow akin to in sickness and in health. If she’d been feeling less shitty, she might’ve expressed how sweet he sounded. Their warm, cosy bubble burst when Sam untangled herself from Rhett and hastily left the room, feet hurrying her to the bathroom.
He found her kneeling in front of the toilet, heaving her lunch into the porcelain until there was nothing left. He didn’t hesitate or leave her. Rhett knelt next to her, sweeping her hair into a handheld ponytail, out of her face as her body expelled anything and everything.
“That’s it, darlin’... M’ right here…” His other hand smoothed up and down her back, a mix of encouraging and comforting. In a brief reprieve she sat back, spitting into the bowl and taking a few deep breaths.
“Sorry, that was so fuckin’ gross… You didn’t need t’ see that,” she grimaced, reaching for some tissue to blow her nose and wipe the corners of her mouth. Rhett still kept hold of her hair and rubbed small circles on her lower back.
“Feel better?”
“A little,” she admitted quietly, leaning forward to flush and shut the lid. Rhett stood up, letting her hair go and filling her a cup from the bathroom sink, offering it to her with an unbothered smile.
“I’ll ask mom t’ set us some food aside, we can eat later when you’re feelin’ it,” he stated, helping her stand up
“Y’ don’t have t’ skip dinner jus’ ‘cause I threw up…” Sam tried to protest as she tied her hair back and grabbed her toothbrush.
“‘M not interested in eatin’ til you’re feelin’ better.” It was enough to make her heart melt through her ribs and once she’d brushed her teeth, they made their way back to their room. Rhett briefly left to tell Cecilia they wouldn’t be down for dinner and was back upstairs before Sam had even gotten herself settled under the covers. He took his jeans off and slung them over his desk chair, knowing there would be time to clean up later.
-/-/-
The hours ticked away and whilst she still felt nauseous and crampy, she hadn’t thrown up in a while. Same came around in Rhett’s arms, savouring the warmth and the comfort from him.
“Rhett?”
“Rose?” he rasped back in reply.
“Can we go get somethin’ t’ eat?” She could just about make out his facial features, the way his eyebrows raised a little and he nodded before realising that it was a little too dark.
“Yes - yeah, sure. Feelin’ better?”
“Enough t’ try an’ eat,” she agreed, slowly rolling over to push the covers down and reach for the hoodie she’d stolen from him months ago, deciding it would do a good enough job of keeping her warm and comfortable. Rhett pulled on a pair of pyjama pants and opened the door. Silence filled the house from top to bottom.
“C’mon, gotta be quiet.” Together, soundlessly, they headed downstairs, to the kitchen. Sam thought about her options and what would be safest for her to try without risking upsetting her currently delicate stomach. Toast. Toast was always a good option.
“Thanks, f’ takin’ care ‘f me, Rhett.”
“Don’t need t’ thank me, darlin’, just doin’ my duty.” She giggled tiredly and repeated the word duty back to him.
“Real mature,” he teased back as he retrieved the bread whilst Sam perched on the counter, watching him. The light cotton curtains around the window by the sink weren’t drawn, bathing them both in the silver-white light of the moon. It was oddly intimate and private. The only two awake in the house - perhaps in Wabang - with nothing but the night for company.
It wasn’t until she caught a glimpse of the calendar on the wall that her heart leapt into her throat.
“What’s the date today?” She slid off the counter and stepped closer to the planner that was hung on the wall, next to the fridge at eye-level.
“The twenty-somethin’?” Rhett suggested quietly over his shoulder, “Why?” She took a moment to count back and swallowed thickly, hoping she was wrong.
“Nothin’, jus’ forgot somethin’ is all.” The anxiety started to gnaw on her from the inside, freaking her out as she tried to play it cool. Rhett remained unaware as he stood by the window, near the toaster, waiting for their late-night snack to be done. Sam sought him out, putting herself between him and the counter and turning in his arms to better look at his face in the moonlight.
“Don’t know what I’d do without you…”
“Li’l ol’ me? M’ sure you’d get by,” he replied, equally as soft and tired as she was.
“M’ serious, Rhett,” she reiterated, “You’re everythin’ t’ me.”
-/-/-
Morning broke, and while she ordinarily enjoyed the peace with Rhett, she found it difficult to sleep much longer. She eased herself out of Rhett’s arms and was grateful that he didn’t wake up, making her way downstairs to the kitchen and stopping in the doorway when she saw Cecilia was already awake.
“Mornin’, Samantha.”
“Mornin’,” she echoed back and joined her at the table, somewhat awkwardly. She’d always had a great deal of respect and admiration for Cecilia Abbott and that hadn’t changed since she’d moved in but Sam wasn’t sure they were close enough yet for pre-breakfast heart-to-hearts.
“Feelin’ any better?” Cecilia cradled a mug of coffee, a blanket draped over her shoulders. The sun still wasn’t up yet, the only light came from the one over the table. Sam picked at her fingers and nodded a little.
“Not great… But not much worse…” Cecilia hummed and gestured to the coffee pot on the side.
“Fresh coffee?”
“No, thank you…” Sam paused before leaning forward and resting her arms on the table, “Cecilia, can I ask a favour?”
“Sure, sweetheart, what’s the matter?” A lump formed in her throat and she took a moment to compose herself, lest she embarrass herself any more.
“I… I’m a few days late - like, four - It’s not that we’re not bein’ careful -” Her cheeks went hot when Cecilia reached for her hand over the table “- I jus’ wanna be sure, y’know?”
“Oh - sweetie, we can go grab some tests if you want? Not like I haven’t been in your shoes before.”
“Thank you,” she sniffled, tears rimmed her eyes and Cecilia noticed before Sam could even apologise.
“C’mon, honey you can talk t’ me,” she encouraged with a reassuring smile. Sam knew that if she’d been at home - for as much as she loved her mother - this conversation would’ve been going very differently.
“It - it’s not that I don’t want that, with Rhett… But m’ not ready. I don’t know what t’ do,” she confessed with a tremble in her voice.
“Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First things first, let’s get you some tests, alright?” Sam nodded, using the hand that wasn’t holding Cecilia’s to wipe her eyes with her sleeve. They made a plan, to be the ones to go grocery shopping and get what Sam needed so that the others would be none the wiser.
Hours later, well into the day when their plan had been enacted, they came home with armfuls of groceries and Sam had tucked the box into her hoodie pocket, to avoid it accidentally being found by anyone else. Whilst the others came in for lunch and to help Cecilia unpack the groceries, Sam took the opportunity to sneak away to the upstairs bathroom.
Just thinking about what she was about to do had her palms sweaty and her heart racing. There was no definitive answer for how she felt about keeping this from Rhett.
She locked herself in the bathroom and shaky fingers tore into the box, shaking out the three tests and the pamphlet of instructions and other relevant information. Sam made sure to read through everything thoroughly, to be sure she understood what she was doing and how. After successfully saturing the strip end of the first test, she capped it, washed her hands and waited. The worst part was undoubtedly the waiting.
The timer on her phone seemed to tick away so impossibly slowly that she couldn’t tell if it was slow or she was just imagining things. When it finally went off she stood up and moved to the counter, she almost didn’t want to look at the test. Sam counted to three and flipped it over before daring herself to look down.
Negative.
“Thank fuck f’ that -” she sighed, relieved in a way. Sam put the used test in the bin and the other two under the sink in the cupboard next to the other sanitary products. But she still felt obligated to tell Rhett, regardless of the fact it had come back negative he still had a right to know.
“Hey,” he greeted with a smile as she rejoined them downstairs. Sam smiled in return and reached for his hand, guiding him to the back porch.
“Somethin’ the matter, Rose?” A chilling wind blew across the yard and made her shiver a little but she rallied her nerves and decided to get it over with, like pulling off a Band-Aid.
“I… I jus’ wanted t’ let y’ know I’m a few days late. So I -”
“Late?” he echoed, a confused frown on his face, Sam kept a hold of his hand and squeezed gently.
“My period, Rhett. Almost five days late. An’ I know we’ve been kinda careful but I got scared and took a test,” she explained, not wanting to rush through it too much and risk confusing matters.
“Oh - oh, shit okay…”
“It was negative. M’ not pregnant. But I think we need t’ be a bit more cautious, goin’ forward.” She could see the cogs turning behind his eyes, thinking her words over and planning in response.
Truthfully, Rhett had never been totally sure on whether he wanted kids or not. He wasn’t sure he could be a man worthy of having kids, much less that he would be lucky enough to not screw up in the same ways Royal had over the years. And whilst he understood that Sam had every right to be relieved that the test was negative, it sparked something in him. Gave him just the faintest taste of what his future might involve.
“Yeah - yes, totally. Completely agree,” he replied with a nod, pulling her in and wrapping her up in a hug.
“Rose, y’ never have t’ be scared to talk t’ me ‘bout things like this, okay? Thank you, for tellin’ me, even if it was negative, I know you were bein’ brave about it…”
“M’ not sayin’ never… Jus’ not right now, y’ know? M’ not ready yet,” she admitted quietly, sinking into the embrace. He ran a hand up and down her back in a soothing, sweeping motion as they stood wrapped up in one another on the back porch.
“Well, when you are ready, I’ll be right here, waitin’.”
