Cricket ran into the ranch house, shrieking with laughter as Kit chased her with the flashlight. She sighed as she closed the door and took off her shoes.

Jonah shook his head, illuminated by a flashlight. "How bad is it?"

Cricket shook out her wet hair as Kit walked in behind her, rain dripping off his Stetson. "Pretty bad," he said. "The horses are all good now, though."

Jonah nodded. "Power's still out. The girls are all upstairs, Cade and I are just going to bed early."

Kit nodded, flopping down on the couch and taking down his ponytail.

"You two… do whatever. Within reason!"

Cricket laughed as Kit blushed. "Alright, Jonah." She sat next to Kit and curled up to him like a cat.

Kit put an arm around his girlfriend and waited for his boss to leave. "What do you want to do?"

Cricket frowned thoughtfully. "Do you want to play twenty questions?"

"What's that?"

"The way I play it, you just ask the other person however many questions you're allotted in turn. Since there's two of us, we'd each get ten."

"And we take turns?"

"Yes, that's what I said."

"Okay, you go first."

Cricket sighed. "Is Kit short for anything?"

Kit nodded. "Yes. Um… what did you want to be when you were little?"

"A vet. What's it short for?"

Kit blushed. "You'll laugh."

"No, I won't. I promise."

Kit shook his head. "Fine… Kettapaisan."

"Ketta-what?" Cricket asked.

"It's an Americanized version of Kettaa Pia Isan, which means 'strong wolf' in Shoshoni. My birth mom picked it out."

"Bir-"

Kit gently put a finger on Cricket's lips. "My turn. Do you have any siblings?"

"A sister on the mainland. What do you mean by 'birth mom'?"

Kit shifted uncomfortably. After a long silence, he finally spoke. "My birth mom died when I was really little. I think Dad said I was two weeks old. He met and married Mom nine months later, and then they had all my brothers. My birth mom was full Shoshone, but nobody in Darton except Grandpa Mac ever knew her, and my dad's really… private; so people generally assume that Mom – Maxine – is my birth mom, and that I'm half. We don't usually talk about it, much less correct them. I don't remember her anyways, so…"

"I'm sorry," Cricket said.

Kit shrugged. "If anyone should know, it's you. It's more awkward to talk about it because I never do than anything else. What about your parents?"

"Mom died in a crash when I was eight, then Dad's mental health started to deteriorate until he had to be committed. After that, my aunt and uncle raised me."

Kit nodded, and the two lapsed into silence.

Cricket stirred a little. "My real name is Amanda, but Dad always called me Cricket, so I had it legally changed as soon as I could. My mom named me, though, so I just made Amanda my middle name."

Kit stretched. "I don't have a middle name; none of my brothers do either, or my dad or grandpa. It's just tradition, I suppose. That and we'll never not be Elys, so…"

Cricket nodded.

"Rain's stopped. Wanna take a look?"

"Sure."

Kit walked Cricket out to the porch, shielding her from the buffeting wind as much as he could. "Look, there, a peek of the sunset."

Cricket smiled. "I've always loved all the colors."

"You should see it in the desert, all red and gold…" Kit sighed as he wrapped his arms around Cricket's shoulders.

"Do you ever miss Nevada?"

"I do. I miss the people and the horses, mostly. But I also love Hawai`i. Mostly because you're here."

Cricket laughed. "And because Jonah's the only one crazy enough to hire an ex-bronc-buster."

"Well, yeah, that, too." Kit chuckled, then sighed thoughtfully. "I'm not asking – I'm not ready for that yet – but if I did ask you to marry me right now, what would you say?"

Cricket leaned against his chest and held his arms. "I think… No, I would say yes. You're hard working, responsible, compassionate, and more – everything a woman could ask for. And you're handsome to boot."

Kit nodded. "And you're just plain wonderful."

Cricket shook her head, smiling. "That was very elegant, Kit."

"I know." Kit pulled her away. "Come on, you're shivering, let's get back inside."

O

A/N:

Kettapaisan to my knowledge, this would be pronounced (KET-ah-pah-EE-sahn) I used an online translator, so please don't hate on me if I got it wrong

Also, my idea for Kit's "birth mom" came when I read that there are seven Ely boys, that Seth and Kit are both described as "the oldest" in different places in the series, and that Maxine said when Cody was born "I guess having six babies does make me somewhat of an expert" All of this is actually in the books, not just online.

Constructive critique only, please, and I think there needs to be more KitXCricket fanfiction, don't you?