The Blessing: A Second Chance

It took a little while, but John finally got control of his legs again. He started to stand up with a little help from Applejack. After he was back on his feet, the two started walking back to the house.

“Well,” Applejack started, “Ah think we're done for the day.”

John looked at her, a hint of surprise in his expression.

“Are you sure?”

Applejack nodded.

“All this excitement has put us both in a foul mood. It's not good ta work when you're cross, especially when you're bucking trees.”

John looked away.

'Nice one, you caused a fight, and you have managed to set her back by a day's work.'

His face showed his thoughts and  Applejack noticed.

“Hey, stop worryin' 'bout it. When I said we were ahead, I meant it. I was already ahead by a few days work when ya got here. Please John, don't blame yourself, it really ain't yer fault.”

He looked back down at her face, and for some reason he just couldn't look away.

“Thank you, for everything that you've done for me in the past few days.”

He couldn't help it. She had done so much for him, and he didn't have anything to give her in return. Yet she kept on helping him with barely an irritated look.

AJ looked up at him, she smiled warmly.

“You're most welcome.”

They walked in silence like that all the way back to the house.

When the two went inside, they immediately went to the kitchen. John sighed and sat down at the table while AJ fumbled around inside one of the cabinets. After a few seconds of searching, she turned around. In her hooves were two glasses and a bottle.

“Now, how'd ya like to have some hard cider? We make it ourselves.”

John smile as she came over and placed the glasses on the table. Using her mouth, she removed the cork from the bottle and poured each of them a drink.

“Now let's see how you like these apples.” she said with a knowing grin.

John took a sip. It wasn't bad, certainly no worse than some of the engine degreasing like substances he had ingested before. AJ was nursing her own glass, and watching him out of the corner of her eye.

'Well, let's give her something to watch, then.'

In a smooth motion from years of practice, John downed the rest of the glass in a single pull. AJ's mouth fell open.

“What in tarnation, that's some of the strongest stuff in Equestria!”

John chuckled as an evil thought came to his mind.

“Wait here.”

He got up and went to his room. Sorting through his pack, he found a steel flask with the Marine Corps. Emblem on it. Walking back downstairs, he unscrewed the top and handed it to AJ.

“Be careful with this, it'll set ya on fire if you're not ready for it.”

Applejack took the flask in her hooves. She sniffed the contents, and her nose wrinkled in reply. She looked up to see John staring back at her, an amused smile forming on his lips. Quickly hiding her disgusted look, she stared back with defiant eyes before taking a pull from the flask...

And she immediately started coughing.

John laughed, hard. It was one of the funniest things he had ever seen. Applejack kept coughing for a few seconds before she could speak again.

“What, cough, in the hay, cough, is that stuff?” she struggled.

John took a moment to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye while his giggles subsided.

“That, my friend, is whiskey. Not exactly the sweetest stuff, but it's guaranteed to wake you up in the morning.”

“If it don't kill ya first, cough-cough.”

The two laughed for a solid minute. They couldn't help it, it WAS funny. AJ had always secretly prided herself on being able to hold her cider better than anyone else, and for the first time she had found someone who could, and probably would, beat her at her own game.

She suddenly realized something.

“Wait, did you call me friend?”

John stopped chuckling and smiled at her.

“Well yeah, what else would I call you?”

A pleasant silence settled on the two. They simply smiled at each other.

'God her eyes are beautiful...'

'He sure ain't a stallion, but the way he fights, the way he feels, what his eyes have burning in them. It's so, wonderful.'

Another few moments passed before the two finally realized what they were thinking. Quickly, the two averted their gazes somewhere else.

'That cider must be stronger than I thought, my head ain't working right...' John thought quickly.

'I dunno what that stuff Ah just drank was, but whoo! Sends yer mind for a tumble.' thought AJ.

An awkward moment filled the room. Both remained quiet and averted their gaze from one another. Finally, John broke the silence.

“Ahem, well, uh, how about we take this outside. I find that a drink with a friend is always much better when you can enjoy the weather.”

AJ's eyes met John's, all awkwardness had vanished.

“I'd like that.”

The next few hours were nothing but relaxing. The two sat on the front porch, sharing cider and sun. Applejack had started talking about...

Well, everything.

She had talked about the farm, about her friends, the names she had given the trees.

But most of all, she talked about her family.

“So, that's most of the family, save for a few distant relatives and such.”

John smiled, she seemed so happy when she talked about her family. The way her eyes lit up at mentioning even the most distant cousin made him feel warm.

'If only I could do the same without feeling this pain...'

As if on cue, it happened. The world slowed to a standstill and the flashbacks came...

(Three years ago)

I'm done getting the groceries, so I pack everything into the back of my truck and start heading home. I am content. My last tour in Afghanistan was over and I managed to get all of my men home safely to their families. Now I'm on my way back to my own.

I'm just passing the first of the checkpoints when the first MP car sped by, lights and sirens blazing. It was soon followed by a firetruck.

“What's going on?” I ask, a knot of worry forming in the pit of my stomach.

“Dunno,” starts the MP, “Lemme check.”

He gets on his radio, and I listen to the conversation.

“Oh, shit, hope they get out”

The knot in my stomach gets worse, something isn't right.

“What is it?”

The MP looks back at me.

“It's a fire, started on 3rd Street.”

The knot drops and is replaced by something I know well...

Fear.

“What's the address?!” I ask in a panic...

The MP looks at me odd.

“214, why?”

I don't even wait for him to get clear, I gun the engine and take off.

214, 3rd Street is my address. My babies are still inside.

I drive through the streets at 60 plus miles an hour. It only takes me a couple of minutes to get to my house.

My heart stops...

Red flames light the afternoon sky.

I slam on the breaks and stop only a few feet from the first fire engine. I scramble out of my truck and run like a madman toward the house, only to be stopped by a firefighter.

“Sir, you can't go in there, we have thi-”

“THAT'S MY HOUSE, MY FAMILIY'S STILL INSIDE!!”

“Sir, I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to-”

He doesn't finish the sentence, my fist slams into the side of his head before he can. If he thinks he's going to stop me, he's got another thing coming.

I charge the door and make my way into the house.

It's nothing but smoke and flame when I get inside.

“PEGGY? SHERRYL? KATELYNN?” I shout through the smoke.

All I get back at first is the crackling voice of the fire.

Then I hear it, faint, but there.

“John!?”

It's my wife.

“PEGGY! WHERE ARE YOU!?”

I get nothing back at first, but her voice comes through again.

“In here!”

The voices are coming from the bedroom upstairs.

I don't think, I just run.

The stairway is a mess, everything is in flames, but I don't hesitate, I just run.

Flames reach out to me, they're trying to kill me, kill my family, but it's not going to happen.

I reach the door, but I can't open it.

“Peggy! Peggy, you have to open the door”

I hear coughing from the other side.

“Daddy, daddy help!”

My blood turns to ice.

“Katelynn, I'm coming, daddy is gonna get you out.”

More coughing.

“John,” my wife starts, “John, the floor is weak, I can't get to the door”

“Peggy, stay where you are, I'm gonna-”

CRACK!

I look up in time to see a beam fall on top of me, followed by a large chunk of the ceiling. I'm pinned, I can't get up.

“NO, NO!!”

That's the only thing going through my head.

“John? John what's happening? Oh god, please say something!”

“Peggy, I can't...” I struggle to get the beam off of me, “I'm pinned, I can't get to you.”

'Oh god, this can't be happening, no...'

I don't hear anything for a bit.

“It's okay sweetheart...” my wife says. She knows. “It's okay, we'll be fine, okay?”

Tears start to cloud my eyes.

“Daddy?” this time it's Sherryl.

“Sherryl, I'm here, Daddy's coming, hold on...” I push against the beam again, my hands are being burnt, but I don't feel it. I feel something, and when I look down, I see what's pinning my leg. A piece of wood about a foot long has nailed my leg to the floor.

I struggle harder, but nothing's happening.

“Daddy, I love you.”

I start crying in pain, rage, sadness...

I'm useless. I'm two feet from the door, and I can't do anything.

“I love you too Daddy” It's Katelynn

“I love you too, girls.” I'm panting, I can't see, I can't breathe.

I keep struggling, then I hear it.

CRACK, CRACK, CRACKLE, SKREE!!

“John,? John?!” My wife's voice is cracking.

“Peggy, I'm here!”

“I love you, do you hear me? We all love you. Don't ever forget that.”

“No...”

The floor on the other side of the door collapses. My girls scream, and then they stop...

“NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”

Then, the world turns black.

Just like smoke...