Haley Dutton (Rip Wheeler)

Chapter 4

Over the next two years.
Haley and Rip grew closer. Haley rode with the ranch hands whenever they rode. The ranch hands soon learned why she was there helping and what she was capable of. When a cow got separated from the herd. She took off into the tree line to get it on horseback. The second the cow broke the trees, everyone but Lee, Rip and John Dutton was surprised.
On Haley's 13th birthday, our cattle wondered onto the Indian Reserve next to us after someone cut the fence. John called the ranch hands up and Haley followed. John turned giving everyone including Rip instructions. When Haley realized her father didn't give her anything, she waited until the ranch hands were gone to ask if she could do anything. John smiled at her grabbing a hair that the wind had blown into her face and cupped pulling her close to him saying "I need you in the house. I need to keep you safe tonight and it will be too dangerous for you sweetheart." Haley smiled sadly but said "okay papa." As she walked to the house Rip stopped her and asked " you okay Haley?" Haley smiled at him pulling him in for a hug and a soft kiss of the cheek. Rip promised her he would be safe tonight. John called out that it was time and Haley to go inside. Haley walked to her room and grabbed Lee's blanket and wrapped it around her and sat in a chair that looked out to the barn and way we took off towards.
It was roughly around 1am when the first round of horses came back with cattle. Haley jumped awake and started towards the porch to see her papa and brothers and Rip. When everyone returned, Haley found her papa in the helicopter and he could tell something was wrong. He asked "Haley, what's wrong?" She glanced around and looked down crying saying "Lee isn't back yet papa." John looked up to see if it was a mistake on her part but John didn't see him anywhere. John called out to the hands to go look for him. Before anyone moved, Lloyd called out "Sir, there is someone coming on a horse." John glanced to see and it looked like Kayce. John told Haley to stay there and rode out to Kayce, only to be met with my oldest son laying across his horse died. They rode back to the house and Haley finally saw Lee and broke down into tears while running to us and latching onto Lee's body. After awhile, she broke away crying still walked towards the barn and saddled a horse and rode out into the night. Rip said "I'll keep watch for her sir." She returned around 3am, feeling a little bit better.
Time jump to her 16th birthday
John POV
  Today, my sweet little girl was turning 16. We woke up and had breakfast and went for a ride to the river and back. We went inside and had lunch, when I got a text saying that Beth's office was under attack. I sent a couple ranch hands and myself there. Left on the ranch was Haley and Lloyd. The second we pulled out onto the highway and black car came flying by us towards our ranch but we didn't think anything of it. We made to Beth's office and made our way in to see her laying there knocked out from the attacker. Colby gently picked her up and carried her downstairs to the EMTs. They checked her and we all went to the hospital. Rip absolutely hates this place. Jamie called saying something along the lines of the courthouse was attacked as well. I asked "Jamie you okay son?" He said that he was fine and couldn't get ahold of Beth and that's when I told him what had happened. Not thinking about my little girl back home. We sat in the hospital waiting for any news on Beth when Rip's phone rang. He answered "Haley, is she okay?" I wasn't sure if they answered him back but he dropped the phone and himself to his knees crying. I asked "Rip, what's wrong?" He looked up at me saying "Lloyd called from the bunkhouse phone. Something happened at the house." Colby decided he would stay with Beth until we got back. I gave Rip my truck keys and we all piled in and he took off towards the house. When we made it home, police cars and ambulances lined the front yard of the main house. Rip jumped and headed until he was stopped by a police officer.
Rip POV
While we sat in the hospital waiting room, my phone rang. I saw it was the bunkhouse and answered "Haley, are they okay?" I was expecting they to say something funny that happened when Lloyd finally said "Rip something happened at the house." I dropped my phone and dropped to knees crying. John jumped up asking "Rip, what's wrong?" I looked at him saying "Lloyd called from the bunkhouse phone. Something happened at the house." John handed me the keys to the truck as we walked out to the truck. Everyone piled in and I flew out towards the house. When we arrived, the front yard of the main house was lined with police cars and ambulances. I parked and hopped out and headed into the house when I was stopped by a police officer. I pushed him off of me and headed to find Haley. Lloyd was standing right outside the door with a police officer, who would not let him in, when I stopped to ask "what happened?" Lloyd said "Haley went up to her room to get some things and then was going to head out to the bunkhouse while I was going to set up the bunkhouse for us today but she never made it to me." Once he finished we carefully split up to search for her. I walked the entire downstairs before walking into the kitchen to see a broken plate and a girl hand. I walked around the island to find Haley laying on the floor bleeding from her stomach. I called out to Lloyd to grab towels while I applied pressure to her wound. Her eyes shot open when my hand applied pressure. When she tried to talk, I simply said "no don't talk darling, I need you to save your energy." Lloyd came in with towels and I carefully wrapped her up in one and picked her up and she asked " Rip, can you please cover up my face so someone couldn't get photos of me like this?" Lloyd answered before I could saying "we got you Haley." I carefully carried her out to her father's truck and set her down in the passenger seat. Once she was in, I glanced around the yard to see a ton of cameras and video cameras. I got into the driver's seat and went to pull out when her father stopped me asked "Rip, is she okay?" I softly replied "Haley was shot in the stomach." He nodded and I pulled out and headed to the hospital. She moaned in pain and I looked over at her and placed my hand in her hand that I could easily get to. Haley held my hand laying there while I drove us to the hospital. Once I pulled in, I gently picked her up and made sure she was covered again and walked her in to find a nurse named Alexis. She said "John Dutton called saying that his youngest daughter Haley was hurt and you were bring her here." I nodded and she led us to a private room away from people and the waiting room. I gently laid Haley down and she held on to my arm. Haley gently asked "Rip can you please not go anywhere. I'm not ready to be alone." I nodded and sat down next to her on the bed while the nurses checked her out. Haley fell unconscious and I paged the nurse. They came in and took her to surgery. John called for an update. I said "Haley feel unconscious when we arrived and she is in surgery right now." John replied "Lloyd, Kayce and I will be there soon." He hung up and I waited for the nurse to come to update me on Haley.