For the Love of Rabbits - Of Mice and Men Fanfic

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Hey, Anya! Could ya head back to the barn 'nd get another pitchfork, this ones handle's busted."

"Sure, Slim. I'll be back before you can say, 'where the heck has she got to now.'" Anya winked at him and this just received her a roll of his eyes. She'd only been at the ranch a couple of months but she felt like she had made a life friend in Slim because he was the most understanding out of all the other workers on her current predicament. She had found the ranch after weeks of wandering, finding someone who would let a woman work under them without expecting her to join them in their bed when they got bored.

 Anya had grown up just outside of California and everyone had expected her to do what every other woman was made to do, marry a suitable bachelor and become a slave to the domestic life usually inhabited within a kitchen and bedroom. That life wasn't for her though, so she ran. She didn't get very far before her "precious" daddy caught up with her. The evil bastard slapped her around until he had no energy left, which gave her a suitable break to start running again. She went to a few ranches before this one in Soledad, but nobody would take her... not for doing ranch work anyway. Anya had almost given up and returned home until she spotted this place. They had told her to piss off at first and laughed in her face... She didn't know how Slim did it, but he changed their minds and for that, she would be forever grateful. Anya always had trouble with Curley, however. He treat her like a piece of meat, always trying it on even though he was married. Sick bastard. 

As Anya was making her way back to the barn as quickly as she could manage, she noticed Candy, or Sweet as she calls him, talking to two guys she didn't recognize and that's when she realized they must be the guys the boss were waiting for last night. She cringed a little at the thought of their first encounter with the boss man not be very comfortable. She nearly diverted to go and say hello to them, but decided there would be time for that later and decided to try and analyse them from a distance instead... she had done this with the previous newcomers, she wanted to know if they would be any trouble. Anya noticed one was considerably taller than the other but by the way they stood close to one another, she realized they knew each other well. The shorter man was reasonably younger than the taller man but not by much and his face contained some handsome features. She also observed that the taller man would often look to the shorter man whenever Candy would speak, like he was waiting on orders. This suddenly ran alarm bells. Perhaps the shorter gentleman was taking advantage of the other man? Realizing that she still had a job to do, Anya picked up speed towards the barn only to be stopped by another arsehole. Shoving the barn door open, Curley stormed out surveying the scene around him. When he noticed Anya, he stopped and his muscles flexed slightly as he smirked at her. 

"Well, well, well.... look at what we have 'ere. Shouldn't you be workin'?" Anya huffed in his direction and then stormed past him, trying to ignore his leering nature. "Hey! What d'ya think you're doing?"

"I'm working.... you know, some people actually do that thing called 'work.'" She collected up the pitchfork that was leaning against one of the barn walls and as she turned around, she bumped into the stout bastard that was following her around like a lost mutt.

"Don't get smart wit' me, ya silly bitch.... you seen my wife?" She glared at him, then stopped and smiled sarcastically.

"If I had, I wouldn't tell ya, now get outta my way." She shoved him aside and strode on back towards the rest of the boys. She knew she shouldn't let Curley provoke her and most of the time it took great restraint not to punch him square in the face, but she knew she couldn't risk getting canned. Her whole life was this job and she couldn't afford to lose it. She felt bad for his wife in a way, she knew what it was like to be female in this world. Anya had it lucky. Not everyone got the opportunity that she has had the privilege of having and she knew Curley's wife resented her for it. As she re-joined the boys, one look from Slim and he knew that she had had a run in with the boss' son which resulted in him smiling at her sympathetically.

"I think the new boys are here." She said quickly as she passed him the pitchfork.

"Oh? And what's lady Anya's view on them?" She nudged him playfully at the word 'lady'. He knew she hated being called that.

"I think..." She paused for a second. "I think they'll be alright."