Life Lessons

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Ruby Winters was a young woman of around twenty two, not that her parents would remember this fact. She was their youngest child. A mistake. Surplus to the achievement of creating their eldest. It hadn’t taken long for Ruby to stop ‘bothering’ her mother with her drawings as a toddler, knowing the response would always be the same; ‘Lovely’, without so much as a glance. She had taken up the piano, to which her father had told her was a waste of time and energy, after all... they didn’t need two pianists in the family. As she grew older, Ruby tried to ask her father to school her in the family business, to which he had told her it was not her place to know the family business. The business would belong to her elder sister one day, it was a useless endeavour to show Ruby how it worked. Eventually Ruby simply ceased interacting with her parents. She spent her days living in the farthest part of their sprawling mansion from them, not that they noticed. The young woman tried finding a job as anything at all, but as soon as they saw the name ‘Winters’, she was laughed away, most companies telling her to just go ask daddy to make her a pony, or whatever it was little girls wanted these days. Such statements barely made sense, as she had only the faintest understanding of what her family did. She knew they were part of a partnership that owned an extremely popular theme park that only the very wealthy could afford, such was her reason for staying away from it; She wanted nothing at all to do with anything Winters.
While she had grown up wanting for nothing in the material sense, the youngest Winter’s daughter was extremely poor when it came to personal relationships.

The Indian was only too willing to try. He launched at the man in black, truthfully believing he was the one being wronged by their being here. He wasn’t to know one shot and it was all over for him.

Kraven grabbed Joe by her slender shoulders and slammed her against the wall of the house. “You said it yourself, you didn’t give a shit about the kid, so why the sudden interest?” His reason was simply that he didn’t want any surprises, such as Joe giving the younger girl family secrets she wasn’t supposed to know.

The man in black lay still for several moments, trying to decide what had happened. He knew he hadn't pulled his gun so someone had have. He wasn't certain Ruby had done anything.

"I'm not telling you anything. Leave me alone." Joe hissed, trying to pull away from him. "You're such an ass, Kraven. I swear!"

Ruby could barely focus her gaze, but her eyes were still wide, the smoking gun in her shaking fingers. “Oh god... what have I done...” she breathed. Host or no, she had just shot someone.

Joe wouldn’t get very far, Kraven’s hands pressing against the wall of either side of her head. “You love how much of an ass I am...” he breathed, finding it hard to resist those soft plump lips now they were so close.

"Breathe." The man in black stood up, dusting himself off. "It's going to be all right. Just breathe, honey. He was going to kill us. You see that, right?" 

Joe would probably surprise him. She grabbed a handful of his perfect hair and forced his mouth against hers, kissing him him deeply. Then she bit his lip hard enough that they both tasted his blood.

Ruby was shaking her head, staring at the blood that was oozing out from beneath the body of the now ‘dead’ host. “I shot him!” She shouted again, like this stranger didn’t understand the magnitude of what she had just done. She could feel her chest growing tight as she struggled to breathe.

That didn’t seem to put Kraven off in the least. His large hands groped Joe’s pert behind as he kissed her again, making sure she got a good taste of what she had just done.

The man finally managed to cross the space to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Ruby. Breathe. No one is dead and you know it. Breathe, honey."

Joe didn't stop kissing him either. In fact she tightenened her fingers in his hair and moaned into his mouth. Her body craved this, even though her heart screamed and railed against it.

Ruby’s wild grey eyes looked up into the ice blue ones staring down at her, though suddenly they narrowed. “How do you know my name?”

Kraven’s hands lifted Joe up, sliding along her slender legs as he wrapped them around his lean waste. This wasn’t supposed to be happening, he told himself. She hated him. Hate was good, hate drove people. Hate made them weak and careless, yet here he was, tearing open the front of that tight little shirt she was wearing.

"You're a Winters, are you not?" The man asked her. "My name is Milo Tewater, I'm part of the park security."

While he was tearing at her shirt, she was tearing at his. Joe gave another soft moan as her fingers brusgeb his skin, nothing about this was right. Kraven was going to eat her alive.

Ruby took a step back. “How would you know that?” Ruby had always assumed no one even knew there was a second Winters daughter, let alone know one simply by looking at her.

When she didn’t stop him removing her shirt, Kraven took Joe indoors, pressing her down onto the large wooden table in the kitchen. Winters or not, there was no denying how beautiful Joe was. He took a moment to look her over, warm fingers tracing her pale flesh from her throat, down between her breasts until he came to the belt of her pants. There he paused, dark eyes actually asking permission to continue.

"It's my job." Milo said as if it were that simple. "I was alerted the moment you and your sister stepped off the train though...you look nothing like you're newborn picture." He teased her.

That pause was enough to bring Joe back to her senses. She took in a deep breath and shook her head. "Stop. We have to stop." She gasped, pushing him off as she sat up. "Play with your dolls. I'm not for you." She said again.

Ruby felt her pale cheeks flush with colour and tucked some of her midnight blue hair behind her ear. “Let me guess, you’re here to make sure I don’t embarrass the brand, right?” She asked thinly.

Kraven pushed Joe back down, pressing her wrists to the table beside her head. “You really do think you know everything, don’t you?” He sneered, then let her go and left the house. Kraven really could be cruel, considering he had sent Joe’s horse back to town, and he now had her shirt tucked into the back of his pants, it was going to be a long, and cold walk for her.

"What? No. It's my job to make sure all guests are safe. That's all." Milo said with a smile. "You just looked like you needed a little push in the right direction."

Kraven was an ass, this did nothing but confirm it for Joe. She walked proudly in the direction of the starter town, her teeth gritted so tightly her jaw ached.

Ruby didn’t seem convinced in the least. “Fuck you.” She growled, feeling even more of a fool. “I’ll tell you the same as I told my sister; I don’t need a babysitter!” She hissed, turning to stalk back to her horse.

“Excuse me, miss?” The missing rancher stopped his horse and jumped off to stand in Joe’s path. “Umm, but...” he was clearly trying not to stare at her breasts. “Do... you need some help?”

Milo groaned, having expected he'd say the wrong thing. "Babysitter's ass!" He shouted after her. "That's not what I meant. I was just saying you needed to relax."

"No." Joe snapped, not even bothering to cover herself. "I don't need anything. And where have you been? You ruined everything."

“You don’t know me.” Ruby who back as she swung up onto the horse. “So don’t tell em what I need!”

The rancher was already removing his own shirt and holding it out to Joe. “I’m sorry... a man came... he said some of the cows had wandered...”

"You need to relax." Milo's tone was almost soft as he watched her ride off. This was going to be a long weekend.

Joe's bottom lip trembled as she looked at the shirt being offered to her. "Don't." She hissed through her teeth. "Put your shirt back on. I don't need your pity. I have my own clothes."

Ruby was riding farther away from the town. That last incident had been the exact opposite of what she needed right now. Joe was forever telling her she needed to take charge of her life, not just let life drag her along. Well... she had just shot someone with even thinking twice.

“Pardon my saying, miss, but... perhaps you should wear your shirt then? Lots of men out here would take advantage of a beauty like yourself.” The rancher replied, still offering the shirt.

Milo put a call into the systems operator so that the could get the Indian raid mess cleaned up. Then he got back onto his horse and headed back in the direction of the town. There was supposed to be a shoot out happening at the saloon and he needed to make sure guests stayed safe.

Joe grabbed the shirt, a defiant tear sliding down her cheek. "I need you to go home and stay there. My sister will find you and be staying at your house. You're safe. She needs safe."

Ruby had rode until she came to the edge of a deep ravine. The young woman dismounted her horse and stared down into it, wondering how long it would be before anyone found her. Would they find her? Could a guest even be hurt this way? She sighed heavily, not for the first time wishing she were more like her sister. Joe didn’t take shit from anyone, and here her little sister was, having a ‘woe is me’ moment because she shot a fucking robot.

“Excuse me?” The rancher asked, rather confused. “Is your sister in danger, miss?”

Milo watched the shootout without even really watching it. He couldn't get his mind off Ruby. "Something in his gut kept telling him to go to her and make sure she was ok. He couldn't just leave it alone. Before things were done he was riding out, leaving the other guests to their own devices.

"Yeah." Joe sighed, buttoning the shirt. "She's in danger from herself. Shes never even met that person yet. You go on back to the ranch now. Things are fine here."

Kraven was on his way into town at the moment, and had to abruptly pull his own horse to a halt to keep from colliding with Milo. “Fucking asshole!” He roared, shooting the poor horse in the haunches. Clearly he was in a foul mood since his encounter with Joe.

The rancher stared back at Joe, thinking she made no sense. “Can I at least give you a ride into town?” He offered. “It’s a long walk, and night is coming.”

"The hell is..." Milo was quick to close his mouth when he saw who'd shot his horse. This man got away with everything. No matter what it was. Not for the first time he found himself pretending this man had an arrow in his head.

"No. I'm fine." Joe said, shaking her head. "I don't need anyone. Thanks for the shirt."

Kraven smiled when he saw the realisation on Milo’s face. “That’s right, you’re on my payroll, so watch where the fuck you’re going!” He sneered, then kept right on going for the saloon. Joe had left him with a problem a jump in a cold lake wasn’t going to fix.

“And your sister? You don’t need her?” The rancher pressed. “Does she not need you, rather than a lonely man like myself?”

Milo flipped Kraven off once he was sure the other man couldn't see him. The elder man was such a bully. He always had been. He was cruel to the guests, nevermind what he did to the hosts. Robots or not, they didn't deserve to be treated the way he did.

"It's the other way around...she doesn't need me." Joe said, pausing where she was walking. "Would you please just do what I'm asking you to? I don't need to have discussions about these things."

Kraven didn’t see, because all he was thinking of was how many of the female hosts he could get through that night before he got bored, like he usually did.
He wasn’t to know his plans for the Winters shares would bottom out of the youngest listened to what the tiny voice in the back of her mind was telling her to do on the edge of a ravine right in that very moment.

The rauncher finally nodded, programmed to always do whatever the female guests asked of him. “Yes ma’am. I hope to meet your sister soon.” He told her, tipping his hat before returning to his horse.

"Ruby?" Milo found her near dawn. "You all right?" He sat down next to her, exhausted.

"Don't say anything." Joe sighed as she passed the hotel owner. She saw his eyebrow raised and was all but waiting for a phone call from her father. This weekend was a disaster. It couldn't get any worse.

Ruby was simply sat on the edge of the ravine with her legs dangling over it, watching the sky change colour. “I told you I don’t need a babysitter.” She replied quietly, though didn’t tear her eyes from the pre dawn sky.

“Can I fetch you some new clothes, miss?” The owner asked. “And perhaps... something strong to drink?”

"I was trying to find an access point to get back to my office..." Milo sighed heavily.  "I just asked if you were all right."

"Yes. I'd appreciate that." Joe said as she mounted the stairs. She could hear Kraven. He'd obviously been here a while and he was already having a good time. "Typical." She muttered.

“I’m fine.” Ruby replied, again not looking at him. The last thing she wanted was for a stranger to see she had been crying.

As she passed his room, Joe would hear Kraven moaning her name, despite the protests of the woman he was with.

"you don't sound fine." Milo pointed out. "Youre not still upset about shooting that indian, are you?" 

Joe stood outside the door for a long moment, not sure how to feel about what she was hearing. She wondered if somehow he knew she was there and was doing it simply to mock her. She thought about the gardener who sprayed cats in the yard. It was so tempting.