Penny for your Thoughts : A Yellowstone inspired story

s4- It happens to us all

In the soft glow of dawn, Rip quietly moved about the room, preparing himself for the day ahead. As he glanced back at the bed, he saw Beth awake, her gaze fixed on him. He walked over to her side, his footsteps silent on the floorboards, and greeted her with a gentle, "Hey."

Beth turned away slightly, her arm wrapped protectively around the sleeping form of Spencer. In a hushed tone, she asked, "Why didn't you stop them?"

Confusion flickered in Rip's eyes as he responded, "Stop them from what?"

Beth's gaze held a mixture of concern and frustration as she explained, "From walking into a diner full of armed robbers."

Rip sighed softly, his features clouding with contemplation. "Beth, I can't stop your father from doing anything. He does what he does because he thinks he's right," he admitted, his voice tinged with resignation. "I can either help him or I can watch him."

Pausing for a moment, Rip's expression softened as he glanced at the sleeping Spencer. "And Penny is exactly like the two of you. She's just about the only thing that scares me," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper.

Beth's gaze shifted to Spencer, a mixture of love and worry reflected in her eyes. "Yeah, me too," she murmured in agreement.

Rip couldn't help but tease Beth lightly, a playful glint in his eyes. "I notice you aren't too worried about me running in there," he remarked a hint of amusement in his tone.

Beth smirked, her confidence unwavering. "Baby, I never worry about you. I know nothing's happening to you," she replied, her voice laced with certainty.

With a soft chuckle, Rip nodded, acknowledging her faith in him. "Hmm. It's gonna happen to me one day," he admitted quietly, his gaze drifting back to Spencer. "It happens to us all."

Sharing a tender kiss, Rip bid Beth farewell, "I'll see you later." Leaning over, he pressed a gentle kiss to Spencer's forehead. "Love you, cub," he whispered before turning to leave.

As he left the room, Beth pulled Spencer close, enveloping her in a warm embrace. Her heart filled with love and concern for her daughter. Together, they found solace in each other's presence, their bond a source of strength in the face of uncertainty.

---

As the morning sun streamed through the windows, casting warm rays across the room, Beth sat on the cozy couch with Spencer nestled beside her. With a soft smile, she read aloud from the book in her hands, the soothing cadence of her voice filling the air.

However, as Beth glanced down at Spencer, she noticed that her daughter had drifted off to sleep, her chest rising and falling in a peaceful rhythm. With gentle hands, Beth carefully laid Spencer down on the couch, tucking a soft blanket around her to keep her warm.

Leaning down, Beth pressed a tender kiss to Spencer's forehead, her heart swelling with love. "Sweet dreams, baby," she whispered softly, brushing a strand of hair away from Spencer's face.

With Spencer settled comfortably, Beth quietly walked into the kitchen, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafting through the air. 

Beth poured herself a cup of coffee, the bitter aroma mingling with the tension as her father, entered the kitchen, his presence casting a heavy shadow over the room. 

"You mind pouring me one of those, honey?" he asked casually.

With a tight smile, Beth responded, "Sure, Daddy." She filled a cup and then, without warning, hurled it at the wall next to John's head. It shattered upon impact, coffee splattering across the surface.

John slowly turned around, his expression a mixture of shock and anger. "What the fuck are you doing?" he demanded, his voice laced with frustration.

Beth's eyes blazed with intensity as she faced him, her emotions boiling over. "What the fuck are you doing?" she shot back, her voice trembling with raw emotion. "You don't know how lucky you are. Your coma, that was a gift from God. God didn't give me any gifts. I had to watch it. I watched pus and bile bubble out of you. Here," she said, jabbing her finger repeatedly at his chest. "And here. And here, for fucking days."

John swatted her hands away, his features hardening. "All right," he muttered, his tone clipped.

But Beth pressed on, her voice rising with each word. "I had to watch the life leak out of you. And then you look for a way to lose it again. You fucking seek it. Well, I'm not doing that again. I am not willing you back to life the next time you die."

John's gaze softened slightly as he tried to reason with her. "What was I supposed to do, Beth? Let a dozen people get killed for the change in their pockets."

Beth's voice cracked with emotion as she interrupted him, her words cutting like a knife. "Yes! Because when you die, everything that you fought for... and everything that you had me fight for dies with you."

John shook his head, his expression pained. "I'm not made like that, honey," he insisted.

"Then get fucking remade!" Beth exclaimed, her frustration boiling over. "I fight so hard for you, Dad. And you do nothing to help me. You do the opposite."

John's voice was firm as he defended his principles. "I do what's right in my heart. What's in my soul and I won't stop. I won't stop for anyone, including you."

Beth's eyes blazed with righteous anger as she confronted him. "You look for justice everywhere. Everywhere but the mirror. Where's the justice for the man who tried to kill you and gave your granddaughter a fucking death sentence? Huh?"

" You will risk your life for strangers, but what are you risking to find the man who fucking did this, Dad?" With trembling hands, Beth unbuttoned her shirt, revealing the burns on her back. "Look at it!" she cried out. "You won't look because you know who did it. You have some... false connection with him. You think he's your child?"

Beth begin to button her shirt back, " Fine. No, think it. I don't care. But your child, he burned the skin from me. He hurt MY child! And you've done nothing about it."

John's gaze hardened as he spoke. "It wasn't Jamie."

Beth shook her head, unwilling to accept his denial. "Stop lying to yourself."

"It wasn't Jamie," John repeated. "His name is Terrell Riggins. He's serving life in prison. He attacked us to send a message to rival gang members that he wasn't weak. That we didn't destroy him. He is an animal trying to convince other animals he's still strong. We proved he wasn't. If he's alive, and I doubt he is, he's hiding behind his bunk with his teeth bared, waiting to die 'cause that's what animals do when they're cornered. And that animal is cornered."

Beth's eyes filled with frustration as she pleaded with her father. "So we do nothing about it?"

John's expression was resolute as he responded, his voice unwavering. "What are you asking me, Beth? You asking me to waste my life on that piece of shit?"

Beth's resolve hardened as she faced him, her voice filled with determination. "No, Daddy. That's what my life's for."

With a sense of finality, Beth grabbed her car keys and cell phone, her anger propelling her forward. She stormed out of the kitchen, leaving John standing alone, his thoughts swirling in turmoil. As the sound of her car engine roared to life, John called out after her, "Beth..." but it was too late. Beth was already driving off the ranch, leaving behind a trail of unresolved tension and unanswered questions.