this love, walker

004. breaking bar

"I just don't get why I have to go to community service." Taylor whines as her mom drives her to the stables.

"Well, you don't wanna do the time, don't do the crime." Cheyenne says, parking. "I'll pick you up later."

"Do I really have to go?" Taylor pouts. "Can't you, like... write me a note?"

"No." Cheyenne laughs. "Go. It'll be over before you know it." Taylor sighs and gets out of the car. "Love you!"

"Love you." Taylor mumbles, shutting the door.

~ ~ ~

Taylor glances over, seeing Stella rushing in.

"Thank God you're here." Bel says.

"What's up, delinquents?" A man walks in. "I'm Vern. Well, you screwed up. Time to learn some lessons. Okay. Anybody here grow up on a ranch?" Stella raises her hand and walks forward. "Start mucking, Sarge."

"Fine. But you should know I'm pretty good with horses." She says.

"Mm-hmm. The person you'll report to is our new hire." Vern says. "Trevor. Come on out." He calls. Trevor walks out of the stall. 

"Just cause I look the part doesn't mean I'm a criminal." Trevor says. "Like you." He tosses the shovel to Stella.

"I've got some work for the rest of y'all in the paddock." Vern says. "Follow me."

+++

Cheyenne is at the Side Step and eating while sitting at the bar.

"Hey, hey." She sighs at the man's voice. She plasters a smile on, turning to Cordell and the woman with him.

"You know, for however big Austin is, I seem to be running into you a lot." Cheyenne remarks.

"Yeah, well... I am pretty great." Cordell says, sitting a couple seats away from her.

"Uh-huh." Cheyenne rolls her eyes. "Hi. I'm Cheyenne."

"Micki." She shakes her hand. "I'm, uh, his new partner."

"Oh, God, you're stuck with him all day?" Cheyenne winces.

"Okay." Cordell protests as the two women laugh.

~ ~ ~

"You could lose your job on Monday." Micki says.

"I almost always could lose my job, Micki." Cordell retorts. "It's part of the fun."

"Yes. So fun being partners with the guy who's costing the department 200 an hour in legal fees." Micki remarks.

"Ah-ha. See? You are annoying." Cheyenne grins and Cordell rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, I don't know why I thought the guy would settle." Cordell says. "Hey, by the way, the way I handled it that day, you said I should evolve, and I know you're not wrong."

"Mm-hmm." Micki nods.

"But he did spit in my face." Cordell says.

"Ew." Cheyenne grimaces.

"Yeah. Exactly. Thank you." Cordell says.

"And you slammed him repeatedly..." Micki says.

"Okay, you can only do that if somebody hurts your kids." Cheyenne says.

"You can't legally do it then, either." Micki points out.

"Right." Cheyenne quietly says, sticking a nacho in her mouth.

"Yeah, I know, I know." Cordell says. "Thing is, it probably won't matter. I mean, you and I both know it, judges tend to protect the white hat."

"Which is super unfair, by the way." Cheyenne says. "We're all human. No one person should be valued over the other. It's already bad enough men get shit easier than women, now you got law enforcement." She rolls her eyes.