A/N: I do Not own Skip Beat!

Welcome to my version of a dime store romance novel Skip Beat Style. LOL This is in response to the Old West Challenge given by WhispersInTheDark on FrankyHouse. I stuck to the rules as closely and literally as I could. No time travel as the characters are not acting or anything like the manga. This is an AU story. I tried to put character facts into the story but it's not canon at all.

So OOC Warning.

I was tempted to have the summary say: Kyoko is in desperate need for a Stallion to save her ranch but instead found a Stud to save her life. haha. Like I said, cheap romance novel. Please don't take this story too seriously, have fun reading it. I did.

Chapter 1

Kyoko stood irritably at the foyer waiting for the one person least deserving of her time. Of course, he didn't think so. That man thought that time moved only for him, and everyone was set to his schedule. Nevermind the fact that he setup this meeting, one she had been screaming and hollering to have for weeks, knowing that he would act this way.

At least it was comfortable, though she would never admit that to anyone. It was massive, the biggest home in the town, belonging to the wealthiest family in town and therefore everything in it was of the best quality. Even the mayor didn't have such finery. She thought she would live here, manage the home and the inn attached to it but no. The heir to such wealth had other plans. None of them involving Kyoko as his wife.

She heard footsteps approaching an hour and... Kyoko looked at her father's old pocket watch... twenty minutes after their agreed upon meeting time. Kyoko gathered up all her courage and stood her ground angrily as she waited for those footsteps to reach her. Shotaro appeared dressed in his riding apparel, dirtied from his expeditions. From his high black riding boots, his cream colored breeches, all the way up to his dark red riding coat, he looked as splendid now as he did when he broke off their engagement. Though, if you asked him, there never was an engagement, merely a misunderstanding between families.

"Kyoko, looking as plain as ever I see. Can you at least attempt to dress up when attending a business meeting?" Shotaro snidely commented examining her best clothing from head to toe. She had on a basic ankle length tweed dark blue skirt with her best lace up boots. A simple black belt clenched her tiny waist with a very pretty white blouse covered with little blue flowers all over it. It was in fashion, with the stiff cuff at the wrists and neck. It even had little ivory buttons going from the breast to the neck. She was very proud of her outfit. Not to mention it was one of the few outfit that her father last bought her before he died.

"Not everyone can dress in those frilly dresses from England, Shotaro," she snapped and then took a step back. Kyoko took a deep breath upset at herself for falling once again into Shotaro's cruel words. "I'm not here to please your eye, not that I ever could. I came here for your stallion, Perses," she told him getting to the point of their belated meeting.

Kyoko was now the only living heir to the Mogami Ranch. There specialty was breeding horses. They supplied horses to people in three towns. There was even a waiting list. This was actually her first year managing the ranch after her father, Hiro Mogami died from pneumonia. The entire town gave her their condolences, but countered their well wishes with not so subtle suggestions of selling the ranch or at least marrying. A young woman shouldn't be running a ranch alone. You poor dear left alone with no one in the world but those animals. You should find a good strong husband to take over for your father.

Ugh, she's heard it all. Kyoko knew they meant well, but their comments and attempts to "help" her only furthered her determination to succeed in running the ranch alone. Hiro was a great man, raising his daughter alone after her mother died giving birth. He taught her everything there was to breeding and raising good sturdy working horses and even how to shoot a gun. She was exceptional with the horses, only acceptable with a shotgun and a down right amateur with a revolver. Kyoko's spent too much time with the horses to give much practice with her shooting. Not to mention, the horses didn't like the loud noise of a gun.

As for getting married, well, she thought she had that covered with the Fuwa's only son. The two fathers were practically joined at the hip when they were together as drinking buddies and fellow horse enthusiast. They constantly talked about their children getting married and joining the two families until Shotaro voiced his lack of interest in such arrangements. After a semi-public humiliation of him greatly describing all of her less-than-feminine characteristics to another woman, Kyoko washed her hands that had anything to do with the Fuwas except for their horses.

"Oh, is it that time again?" Shotaro dismissed Kyoko's need and started walking away from her, uninterested in his father's arrangement with Hiro's ranch. Kyoko started chasing after him.

"Yes, Shotaro it is. It's June, and I need Perses now, or the season will be over," Kyoko explained for the sixteenth time to this deaf man. She didn't know if her father always had this much trouble, or if it was just Shotaro, but she was getting frustrated. The window of opportunity was closing in fast, and she had to get Perses to her mares soon. The Fuwa family bought her stallion for Shotaro's use. So long as they were willing to lend him out for breeding it would be okay. But with Shotaro's father, Atsushi, out of town, she had to deal with Shotaro for the stallion.

Shotaro lead them into the library where Kyoko was hesitant to go into. Ladies don't normally enter this room. The library was mainly for the males to drink, smoke and socialize while the women had their tea room. She tip toed at the entrance and forced herself though that social boundary determined to get her horse.

"Shotaro, please, it will only be for a week at the most and..." she started to explain, but he stopped her.

"I've been thinking," he interrupted. Kyoko wanted to scream but pressed her lips together in annoyance. "I really don't see the need to continue this agreement between our fathers anymore," he said casually as he poured himself a scotch. "Horses are going to be outdated for transpiration fairly soon with the automobile being marketed at the east coast. Horseback riding and horse drawn carriages are not going to be the desired attraction for the inn but steam powered automobiles and perhaps the new gasoline one." He paused to drink his amber liquid and then sighed in satisfaction. He finally looked at her and in all seriousness said, "I think we should invest in that this year instead. Please understand, Kyoko, that we need to advance with the times. I've convinced my father of this, and he agrees. We will stay with our current count of horses until they have outlived their usefulness, slowly replacing them as we can."

Kyoko was infuriated. She was radiating rage and humming with violent intent. If she had her shotgun, Shotaro's blood would most likely be the new color scheme to this library. To have such a blatant disregard for these beautiful sweet creatures and to simply dismiss her own business and the terms between their fathers was down right criminal.

"You arrogant cur," Kyoko hissed trying to contain the more colorful words she had accidentally learned from her father to herself. "The railroad hasn't even reached here yet and you want to..." she stopped her words short and shook her head. "These horses are my life. I don't care if you want to invest in fancy machines to please all the whores in your life," she bellowed.

"Language, Kyoko, language," Shotaro calmly stated but didn't really care one way or another.

"My father only sold you Perses because your father agreed to allow us use for breeding every year. You can't take back your father's word!" She yelled angrily which made Shotaro angry. No woman can talk back to a man like that, especially not him.

"There is nothing that states such an agreement. Nothing," Shotaro spat. "Father isn't here, your father isn't alive and no contract stating any partnership exists; therefore the selling of your only sire was your mistake and none of my concern." Kyoko was stunned speechless. Her mouth was agape, and she couldn't find a coherent set of words her in outraged brain to voice her thoughts.

"You know the way out," Shotaro stated as he calmly walked around Kyoko towards the front door. Kyoko couldn't move, didn't turn when he moved out of her line of sight and was still fuming over his callous words. This hurt more than when he broke her heart.

"Kyoko," Shotaro stopped at the door and called out. Kyoko turned towards him, glaring at the man who crushed her heart and now wanted to ruin the only thing left in her life.

"If you sold your ranch to me, then I would of course give you my stallion," he emphasized the word my making her grind her teeth, "I would even allow you to continue your position as their groom since you are so good with them. You would be working for me though, I'll be sure to provide you with room and board as long as you continue your duties to my satisfaction," he finished and gave her a little smile that grated on her nerves. "What do you say?"

Kyoko smiled sweetly at him which gave him a little surprise. She calmly walked up to him and picked off some invisible lint from his coat. "Shotaro," she said sweetly making him cock an eyebrow questioningly. "Go fuck yourself," she said in a the same sweet sincere way then started walking out.

"Such language, Kyoko, to think that you call yourself a lady," he yelled out after her. "You'll never find a husband with your mannish ways and looks." The door slammed shut as he finished his parting shot and then laughed to himself. He loved seeing her so riled up, like an angry poodle.

The Challenge:

The Kyoko and Ren Travel To The Old West Challenge(for lack of a better name)
Ok, I guess it could be the anybody from Skip Beat travels to the Old West Challenge, but I only like Ren/Kyoko fics. hehe. Sorry.

The Rules:
1) It must take place in the old west (is there an old west in Japan? IDK. Any location, as long as it is Old and West. Just play with it.) and fit the bill of a typical western.
2) It must end KyokoXRen, but feel free to throw in whomever you please (The idea of Lory in the Old West intrigues me
3) There MUST be a gunfight. Doesn't matter who's in it, but there are ALWAYS gun fights in westerns.
4) In character would be nice, but OOC is understandable to a degree. However, basics should be kept. (Any scenes where Ren shoots Sho, perfectly acceptable)