New recommendation (unless it's been rec'd before??)
Scarlettbaby's
Serenity FallsIt's an AU starting from the time when Ennis receives the postcard marked deceased. He believes Jack is dead and in his grief and depression winds up driving down to Childress then instead of going back to Riverton winds up in a town where no one knows him (Serenity Falls) and finds work. He lives in this state of depression for months until by chance finds out that Jack is still living.
Ok, you all know I'm not good at summaries, but this is a very beautifully written, really intriguing take on what would have happened if Ennis got the shock of Jack's death then got one more chance to fix things. And the way the author handles what happens to Jack after the tire irons in endlessly fascinating and I think she writes what he goes through perfectly. It jumps around concerning POV from Ennis to Jack to occasionally Bobby.
Links to Scarlettbaby's memories concerning Serenity Falls (there is also a ch. 17, but you'll have to go to her journal for that):
http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=scarlettbaby&keyword=BBM+Serenity+Falls&filter=all