Trigger Warning: mentions of rape

The prison transport van was parked in front of the barn when Ty and Amy got back to the ranch. Two guards were sitting on a couple of hay bales playing cards while the few guys that weren't up working the cattle cleaned the pens and worked their horses.

Amy shifted uncomfortably in the seat when Ty parked next to the van. She was quiet the whole journey home, her eyes glued to the yellow folder in her lap. Ty left the radio on, but there wasn't a peep out of her. He tossed her a few glances but decided it best to just mind his own business since he doubted she'd be any more willing to share her thoughts than she was before. Not that he really cared. It just made for a super awkward drive home.

"Okay, so-" He jumped when Amy nearly flew into his lap as someone rapped their knuckles on her window on their way by. Ty glanced over to see it was Gordon coming to help unload the supplies.

"It's just Gordie," Ty said as if that was supposed to bring her relief. It didn't matter if it was Gordie, Vern, Chris, or Teddy her reaction would have been the same.

Amy's cheeks heated up at her overreaction. She didn't know if she'd ever stop being so jumpy. Again, knowing the inmates were wandering around didn't help the issue. She wished Ty would have parked at the house. Now she was going to have to make the trek all the way across the driveway.

Ty followed Amy's gaze as it swung toward the house. "You want me to walk with you to the house?" In his mind it seemed silly, but he wasn't a young woman with Amy's past. The whole idea of her being at Heartland with these sorts of criminals seemed even more ludicrous than when Jack first told him she was coming.

Yes, was Amy's gut response. Luckily, she caught herself before it blurted out, making her sound childish. "I'm fine."

"You say that a lot," Ty remarked.

"What?"

"'Fine.'" He mimicked her voice, making her frown at him. "You realize that is the most tell-tale sign that someone is not, at all, fine?"

She did. But it was a reflexive reply for her anymore. "Would you prefer me to use a different word?"

"I'd prefer you do be straight with me."

Amy scoffed. Yeah, as if that was going to happen. "I am capable of walking myself across the yard."

"Fine," Ty mocked with a raise of his brow. Amy stuck her tongue out at him like a child as he scooted out of the truck to help Gordie with the load.

"Fine," she mimicked his mocking of her as she remained in the cab, eyes darting around the barn then the path to the house. The truck rocked as the heavy bags of grain and shavings were lifted off. "Fine, I'm fine." She continued the mantra, hoping it gave her the ten seconds of courage she needed to get out of the truck.

"I am fucking fine," she practically growled, irritated for being too afraid of getting intercepted by one of the men to get out. There were two armed guards literally sitting right there. Those ten seconds came and she wrenched the door open to storm across the yard – a woman on a mission.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" The voice came from off to her left but Amy tried to play it off like she hadn't heard him while hoping he hadn't caught her noticeable flinch. Her ten seconds were disintegrating fast.

"Hey." A shadow crossed her path and she came to an abrupt halt as Hank loomed over her, working a rag between his oily hands. "Didn't your momma ever tell you it was rude to ignore someone when they're talking to you?"

Amy swallowed, taking a step back and clutching her file tightly against her chest. She avoided looking at his face, especially when she could feel him staring at her. She willed the earth to open and swallow her. She should have sucked it up and let Ty walk her to the house. Stupid.

"Not much of a talker, are ya?"

Amy shifted to glance over her shoulder, her stomach sinking when she realized the guards that were sitting by the barn had their view blocked by Ty's truck.

Hank followed her gaze and chuckled. "Scared, little lady? I don't bite. Much." The way he said it made her skin crawl. "You know," Hank went on as if the conversation wasn't one-sided, "I've been involved with this program for a year now and this is the first time old Jack's ever brought a young woman to stay at the ranch. The guys and I were talking about it over the weekend and you've got us curious."

Amy's heart hammered against her chest. She really wasn't up for yet another interrogation, especially from this man she had every intention of staying far away from. The mere idea of them talking about her behind locked prison cells left her feeling violated.

Behind them, Gordie stopped on his return trip to the truck when he caught sight of Hank and Amy. Ty came up a moment later, stopping midsentence when he realized Gordie wasn't paying attention. "What?"

Gordie lifted his chin in Hank and Amy's direction. "Looks like Hank's trying to make a new friend."

"Shit," Ty cursed under his breath as he headed over to run interference. As much as he insisted the guys were harmless, even with their crude jokes at times, he now knew that didn't mean anything from Amy's perspective.

"Tell you what," Hank went on. He didn't seem at all put off that she wasn't responding and just blew right by her silence. "I'll share my story in exchange for yours."

It seemed another ten seconds of courage floated to the surface because before Amy even realized it, she was speaking, her voice surprisingly firm and full of that sarcasm she had the day she arrived. "No thanks. I'll pass." Once it was out, she immediately wished she could take it back. She'd just invited retaliation and was not prepared to defend it.

"Hey!" Ty approached then before Hank could respond, though from the tugging at the corner of his lips it looked as if he were about to laugh. Amy let out a breath of relief, the first ever at the sound of Ty's voice. "What did my grandfather say about bothering her?"

Hank kept his grey eyes on Amy. "Aw, I'm not bothering you, am I little lady? We were just getting to know each other is all."

Amy's jaw clenched. She had no desire to know this man.

Ty's gaze passed between the two, not believing Hank for a second. He knew better. "Go ahead to the house, Amy. The day's wasting Hank, let's get back to work."

Amy hesitated until Hank stepped to the side to let her pass. "Think about that offer, hm?" He called after her.

Amy tried to keep her pace even, despite wanting to make a mad dash for the house. By the time she was on the other side of the door, her legs were shaking and she wilted against the wood.

Ty stopped Hank when he turned to get back to work. "Seriously, Hank. Just leave her be, okay?"

"Tell me, Borden. What do you know about that girl?"

"What do you mean?" Ty was taken aback by the question.

"I mean, what do you know about her?" He repeated.

Ty grew suspicious. "Not much. I know her father pretty much dumped her here after she got pregnant."

This peaked Hank's interest. "Pregnant, huh?" He looked toward the house, rubbing a hand over his jaw.

"Yeah. Why?" A sudden thought had Ty shifting with unease, narrowing his eyes. "Do you know something about her?"

Hank continued to rub his jaw, his nails scratching through his stubble, seemingly lost in his own head as if deciding how to answer. "Nah. Just wondering what it was that had Jack break his own morals is all." He looked down at Ty. "Back to work."

Ty watched the inmate's retreating back with a furrowed brow, then swung his suspicion to the house. Something weird was definitely going on. Previous experience told him he would get nowhere trying to question Amy again, so Ty made a B-line for the Quonset hut and Hank.

Hank was just rolling himself beneath the tractor when Ty came in. Grabbing the handle of the creeper with both hands Ty yanked him out. "What do you know?"

Hank scowled up at him, his hand still raised with the wrench clenched in his fist. "Not wise to sneak up on a felon with a weapon in his hand."

Ty ignored the threat. "Do you and Amy know each other?"

"Nope," Hank answered bluntly, reaching to pull himself back under the tractor.

Ty grabbed hold of the creeper again. "You're lying. You know what happened to her, don't you?"

Visibly irritated, Hank lifted his head to look at Ty. "Do you?"

Shifting to sit on his heels, Ty studied Hank a long moment. "I have a theory."

Hank snorted. "A theory? That's a fat no." Lying back, Hank tried a second time to pull out of Ty's grip, but he held firm. "I swear to God, boy. Don't try my patience." He gestured with the wrench threateningly.

"Did you do it?" Ty snapped angrily, full on ready to pack Hank into the van and blacklist him from the program.

"I did a lot of things, that's why I'm here, ain't it?"

Ty grit his teeth. "Stop playing dumb. You know what I mean."

Growling, Hank finally sat up. "I'm not the one who's playing dumb here, kid. That girl there?" He pointed the wrench in the direction of the house. "This is the last place she should be. Your grandfather might think he's doing a good deed giving her a place to stay, but I can guarantee it's only causing more damage."

He knew. How he knew was the ultimate question now. "If you don't answer my question I'll make sure you don't come back tomorrow, and that isn't a threat."

The two men faced off in a battle of wills, Hank deciding Ty's promise was more substantial than any threat he could make while still a ward of the penal system. "I don't rape women," he finally answered, enunciating every word for Ty to understand.

Ty's stomach somersaulted when Hank confirmed his theory, albeit via coercion. Desperate for any scrap of information that could crack open Amy's story, his whole bad cop act slipped as he sat up straighter. "How do you know she was raped?"

Another contemplative silence from Hank as he debated the consequences of loose lips. As long as he didn't drop names that could be traced back to this moment, there was no concern. "Because I know who did it."

A/N: I was able to finish this chapter this evening to get it up for you, but from here on out I don't expect to make weekly updates. I do still have plans for upcoming chapters, but it may take me longer than a week to write them.