Through Thick and Thin

England, 1830

School was so boring. Thirteen-year-old Jack O'Neill couldn't wait to leave. Being the son of a wealthy landowner near the small town of Kettering, he had to stay at school and get a good education rather than associate with the lower-class kids his age. It's not fair, he thought, staring at the blackboard which was filled with Latin phrases; when am I ever going to use this stuff?

His father, an Irishman from County Derry, felt a similar way but he wanted his son to be educated. So Jack had to sit through hours of stuff that he already knew or didn't want to learn.

When the bell was rung for recess, Jack was one of the first outside. He hooked up with a couple of boys near his age and they headed out the back to play cricket. Jack loved sports, and excelled at cricket. He was always the captain of one team, and nearly always scored the highest amount of runs.

On this day, just towards the end of recess, he saw a young kid with sandy-blonde hair standing watching the game. The kid wore the charity uniform, which indicated that his parents didn't have enough money to pay the required school fees. Around a quarter of the children at the school were like that, and they were usually teased mercilessly; because of that, they tended to stick together. This kid, however, was on his own so Jack reckoned that he must be new. The poor kid will be a prime target, Jack thought before turning his attention back to the game.

At lunchtime, Jack was late getting out and his hands were stinging from the caning he had just received for talking back to the teacher. Therefore he was in just the right place to see the new kid being picked on. Several twelve-year-old boys were pushing him around. Then, as Jack watched, one of the boys pushed him to the ground.

"Hey!" Jack yelled, storming over to the group. As he got closer, he could see the kid's lunch lying on the ground, now totally inedible. "Pick on someone your own size."

"What's it got to do with you?" Tommy Davidson, a big boy both in height and weight, retorted.

"Nothing. Would you want it to get around that you're picking on babies now?" Jack said casually.

Tommy scowled, annoyed at the implication. "He had to learn his place."

"Well, I'd say that he's learnt it," Jack stated without looking at the kid on the ground. "So get lost."

"You protecting charity babies now?" Tommy argued, not willing to let this go.

Jack ignored the comment. "You really want to go one-on-one with me?" He put his fists up ready to fight.

Tommy wasn't stupid enough to take on Jack, who was known for his fighting skills. "You're welcome to him."

Jack waited until the bullies were walking away before crouching down next to the kid. "You okay?"

"I'm not a baby," the kid stated indignantly, sitting up and running his sleeve across his nose.

"Right," Jack patiently agreed. The kid's blue eyes were red-rimmed, indicating that he had been crying, giving lie to the statement. "What's your name?"

"Danny Jackson." He looked over at his lunch - 2 slices of buttered bread - and his lower lip quivered. It was his first day at school and already he hated it. Lots of the kids had teased him about his uniform and now he had no lunch. His mother had given him her own share of bread so that he would have something and now it lay in the dirt.

"My name's Jack O'Neill." He helped Danny stand up. Now that he saw the kid up close, he saw that Danny was very skinny and small for his age. Jack's heart went out to him; school life was going to be so difficult for Danny. Wait a second... Jackson. "Hey, did your Ma just start working at Ballangeich estate?" He hadn't met the new workers yet.

"Uh-huh." Danny dried his eyes and tried to look like he wasn't a baby.

"That's my Da's place," Jack told him. "That means that we're practically neighbours." Danny's family would probably be living on the estate in the servant's quarters.

Danny was intrigued by that. "Really?" That might not be so bad.

"Yeah. And you know what? Your surname is Jackson. My name's Jack. We're practically related. So if anyone hurts you, you let me know." Jack took his responsibilities seriously, and since the kid was part of the estate, it was up to Jack to look after him.

Danny looked at him with a little bit of hope shining from his eyes. "Related?"

"You can be my brother," Jack said generously. "Would you like that?" He rested his hand on the kid's shoulder.

Tentatively, Danny nodded; he would like that very much. "I don't have any brothers."

"Well, now you do." Jack brushed the grass out of the shaggy blonde hair. He didn't have a brother either and, despite having only just met Danny, he was looking forward to having the boy as one. He held out half of his own sandwich. "Here, eat this. Brothers share food," Jack prompted when Danny didn't take it.

Pleased - and hungry - Danny grabbed the sandwich and quickly took a bite. The bread was soft, and the filling - raspberry jam - was delicious. "Thank you," he said, his mouth full.

"You're welcome." Jack ruffled the kid's hair. "Now, go and play with the others." He nodded towards some kids more Danny's age.

"Can't I stay with you?" Danny wanted to know. He didn't want to be left alone for the big kids to pick on him again.

"Sorry. But if you wait for me outside your classroom after school, I'll walk you home, okay?" When Danny nodded, Jack handed over his red apple; the kid looked like he needed it more than he did. "Now, go play." He grinned at Danny's wide-eyed expression at the apple now in his small hand. Jack was beginning to get the feeling that Danny wasn't used to a lot of food or generosity. "Go on," Jack encouraged him.

Flashing a quick grin at his new friend, Danny did as he was told. Things seemed much better now and he couldn't wait to get home to tell his mother all about it.

Jack watched the kid go over to a small group of charity kids around his age. Danny offered everyone a bit of the apple which, Jack figured, was the fastest way to make friends. Happy that he had made a difference, Jack got up and went to join the cricket match.

****

Danny was bouncing up and down waiting for Jack to arrive after school was finished for the day. The other kids had been impressed by him having Jack as a friend and he had played happily with them all lunchtime, the incident with the bullies forgotten for the moment. He had lots of new friends and his mother would be so proud of him.

The longer he waited though, the less sure he was that Jack was coming for him. What if Jack hadn't meant what he'd said? Danny's bottom lip started to tremble. What if Jack didn't want to be his friend anymore?

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Danny looked up to see Jack standing in front of him. Jack had come for him! Jack liked him! Danny grinned, ecstatic that Jack had shown up! "I'm fine," he said happily. "Come on, let's go." Danny grabbed Jack's free hand and started pulling him towards the school gate.

"Okay, okay," Jack laughed. He could tell that Danny was going to be quite bossy when he got over his shyness. "How did your lessons go?"

"I'm learning the alf-a-bet and to read and to write and I already knew my numbers so I didn't have to learn them too," Danny explained enthusiastically before going into more detail, keeping Jack entertained the whole walk home.

When they reached the estate, Danny could see his mother at the clothesline and he ran over to her. "Mama! Mama!"

Claire Jackson smiled at her enthusiastic young son. She felt so lucky to have this beautiful and loving child in her life. "Danny, darling!" She caught him in a hug. "How was school?"

"I learnt heaps and heaps of stuff like rif-ma-tick and writing, and some boys were mean to me at lunchtime but Jack told them off and now he's my friend and he says he's going to be my brother!" Danny rattled off in one breath.

Claire looked over at the lanky teenager nearby, grateful that he had taken Danny under his wing but wary of her son getting hurt when Jack no longer wanted a little kid hanging around with him. However she pasted a big smile on her face. "That's wonderful, sweetheart."

"Can I play with Jack?" Danny asked, wanting to be with his new friend.

"We've talked about this, Danny," Claire said. "When you come home from school, you have to help with the chores until dinnertime." She felt bad when Danny's face fell and his right index finger went into his mouth to be sucked on.

Danny was disappointed but he knew that he couldn't argue. His mother had explained how they both needed to work in order to eat and have a roof over their heads. Since his father was dead, this was the only way of doing that. "Okay," he mumbled around his finger. Danny slowly went over to where Jack was waiting. "I can't play wif you today. I haf to work," he said around his finger.

"I understand," Jack stated solemnly. He crouched down in front of Danny so they were equal. "I have to work too. But sometimes maybe, when we don't have to work, we can play together. Okay?"

Danny nodded. "Can we walk to school together?" He felt safe with Jack and didn't want the bullies to find him.

"Sure," Jack agreed. "Now you better go and help your Ma."

"Okay." Spontaneously, Danny gave Jack a hug and then ran over to his mother.

Jack was startled and then a smile formed; he was going to like having Danny for a brother.

****

School was horrible, Danny decided two weeks later as he nursed his stinging hands. It wasn't his fault that he couldn't see the chalkboard properly and had therefore copied down the wrong letters. But the teacher, horrid Mr. Parsons, had told him he was stupid and had then rapped his knuckles with the cane. It didn't matter to Danny that there were others in the class who also received the same punishment but they were being naughty, he wasn't. No-one had ever hit him like that before so he wasn't used to the pain or the indignity. He struggled not to cry so that the bigger kids wouldn't tease him about being a baby. But when Jack met him after school, the tears couldn't be held back any longer.

Jack stared at Danny for a few seconds and then awkwardly hugged him. "Danny, what's wrong?"

His breath hitching frequently, Danny haltingly explained why he was crying. "He's a mean old man," Danny finished with.

"Yes, he is," Jack agreed, having been on the receiving end of Mr. Parsons' cane frequently when he had been in the junior room. Noting that the classroom was still open, he had an idea. "Danny, can you show me where you sit?"

Danny looked warily at the classroom and nodded. He supposed it would be okay if Jack was with him.

Mr. Parsons was sitting at his desk looking over some papers. When the boys came in, he scowled. "Master O'Neill, what are you doing in here?"

Lifting his chin, Jack replied, "Danny said he can't see the chalkboard from where he sits." Not that Danny was currently showing him; the kid was hiding behind Jack, clearly afraid to go further into the classroom.

"Is that what he told you?" Parsons scorned. He was a middle-aged man with a hawk-like face, and was a confirmed bachelor, which may have contributed to his lack of understanding with children. "He's just trying to cover up his laziness."

"Am not!" Danny retorted. He knew he wasn't lazy because he worked harder than any of the other children in the class. Keeping Jack between him and the mean old man, Danny sidled across to the rows of wooden benches and pointed to a place in the front row. "I sit there."

"Okay." Jack judged the distance between the seat and the chalkboard - about five metres. "Can you show me where you can see the letters clearly?"

Danny nodded. He shot his teacher, who was glaring at him, a tentative look then pushed Jack forward him with until the words became clear. "Here."

Glasses were definitely needed, Jack decided. Taking Danny's hand, Jack turned to Mr. Parsons and stated, "We'll be going now. I'm sure my Da will be interested in this incident." Being a landowner, Jack's father was a patron of the school and had the power to sack teachers.

Parsons merely scowled at the threat, doubting that Seamus O'Neill would be concerned.

"I don't like him," Danny confided to Jack when they were outside again.

"Neither do I," Jack agreed. He squeezed Danny's hand. "But it'll be better when you have glasses."

"Yay!" Danny trusted Jack's words and grinned up at him. It was great having a big brother who would stand up for him.

Later that afternoon, Jack talked to his father about getting glasses for Danny, and although Seamus was initially reluctant, he finally agreed to pay for them. So several weeks later, Danny had a new pair of glasses, which he proudly wore to school. No-one picked on him because the threat of being beaten up by Jack deterred them. And so Danny was able to continue his schooling without fear of being bullied.

****

The next three years were wonderful for both the boys. Danny excelled at school, soon working at several years above his age; he even started learning Latin from Jack and was soon speaking and reading it much better than his tutor. Jack was very proud of his 'little brother' but recognised that Danny's intelligence was going to make him a target as soon as Jack left school. Therefore Jack also taught Danny how to defend himself, which the younger boy didn't like but did it to please his friend.

Jack's prediction came true; Danny was bullied once his protector left school but the kid fought back with words and if that didn't work, with his fists. He had a couple of friends his age but they were too scared to fight with him. Occasionally Danny received the strap for his participation in the fights but he didn't complain, taking pride in the fact that he wasn't a baby. And Jack was always very proud when Danny regaled him with the stories.

It was a terrible time when Jack was sent away to college for a year. Danny missed him terribly and moped around the estate a lot when he wasn't studying. They corresponded with letters frequently, which Danny looked forward to with an excitement his mother found heart-breaking. She knew Jack was growing up and wouldn't let Danny hang around him for much longer.

Her fears proved mostly unfounded when Jack returned. The older boy had grown so tall and had filled out as well but his relationship with Danny appeared to be unchanged.

Until she came onto the scene, that is.

****

Sarah Mitchell, a pretty young woman with curly golden hair, was seventeen when her family moved to the town and she immediately set her sights on eighteen-year-old Jack O'Neill. Encouraged by her mother to marry well, Sarah flirted with Jack and drew him under her spell.

Danny watched this development with a growing sense of horror. With a child's intuition, he didn't trust Sarah, although he couldn't say why. When he tried to explain his reservations to Jack, the older boy refused to listen and it was the cause of their first big argument. They made up quickly but Danny felt that something had changed between them. He blamed Sarah for that and made no bones about his dislike for her. That, unfortunately, didn't stop Jack from proposing to Sarah, blinded by lust and the idea of love. Danny was not happy at all but there was nothing he could do about it.

The wedding was held a few months later, in the local Catholic Church, and Danny was banned from attending, as were the other servants. Many relatives as well as several family friends on Sarah's side attended, including her godfather, Robert Kinsey. Jack, on the other hand, hardly had any relatives come to the wedding as most were still in Ireland, but many of his friends from the district attended.

Two months later, things took another turn for the worse when a cholera epidemic struck the town. Eight people on the O'Neill estate, including Claire Jackson and Seamus O'Neill, contracted cholera. Danny was very distraught and spent as much time as he could by his mother's bedside, scared at seeing her so ill.

Sarah was thrilled with the turn of events. She had been planning to get rid of Seamus so that Jack could run the estate, so this was welcome news. She put on a sad face, of course, but inside she couldn't wait for him to die. And with Daniel's mother also ill, Sarah anticipated that the boy would soon be orphaned and so she wrote to her godfather to ask if he wanted to buy another servant. Because it was a matter of urgency, she recruited Tommy Davidson to ride to Cambridge to deliver the message personally, Tommy being one of the men she had flirted with in town as part of a scheme to carefully cultivate a small group of men who would do anything for her.

Jack was totally unaware of his wife's machinations, so focused was he on running the estate and caring for his father. Later, he would curse that fact.

Over the next two weeks, Claire slowly wasted away and finally died, Danny by her side. Danny was thoroughly devastated, and the only person he allowed to comfort him was Jack.

Sarah was very resentful of the attention Jack was giving Danny but she consoled herself with the fact that the brat wouldn't be around for much longer. And neither, hopefully, would Seamus O'Neill.

In another week, Seamus was also dead from cholera. That meant that both boys were now orphans except that Jack was an adult. Because Danny was still a minor at twelve, a decision had to be made about his future. Therefore while Jack was busy with the running of the estate, Sarah, as his wife, took it upon herself to finalise the arrangements for the boy.

Jack was away from the house when Robert Kinsey, a wealthy and brutal man from Cambridge, came to collect Danny. Sarah made sure the boy was there when Kinsey arrived, holding tightly onto Danny's arm.

"What's going on?" Danny said in alarm when a strange man alighted from the carriage.

"Mr. Kinsey is your new owner, Daniel," Sarah told him with satisfaction.

"No!" Danny started to struggle but found he couldn't free himself. "Let me go!"

"So this is the boy," Kinsey said, looking at the boy with disdain. "Seems a bit scrawny.

"He's strong and a hard worker," Sarah informed him. She used her free hand, which was holding a Bill of Sale she had written that morning, to take Danny by the ear and pulled hard.

"Ow!" Danny tried kicking Sarah on the leg but all her skirts got in the way.

"He had better be worth it," Kinsey stated, having a few doubts about the transaction as he watched the boy struggling.

"He will be," Sarah promised; she had confidence that her godfather would beat the boy into submission.

"No, I won't!" Danny yelled. "Jack is going to be so mad when he finds out what you're doing!"

"But you're not going to be around to tell him, are you?" Sarah commented in a satisfied voice. "The money?" she demanded of Kinsey.

"As we discussed." Kinsey handed over the purse of ten gold coins and received the hastily written Bill of Sale from Sarah. "Come along, boy."

"No! I'm not going!" Danny refused, defiantly holding his ground.

Kinsey's eyes hardened and he gestured to someone in the carriage. A tall blonde man with a beard stepped out and came over to the group.

Danny sensed that this man was bad and he tried to run but the man picked him up in a tight hold and carried him over to the carriage. "No!" Danny yelled. "Put me down! Please don't do this! Someone help me! Jack!" he called for his friend.

"No-one is going to help you, boy," Kinsey stated. Then he nodded his head at Sarah. "Good day, Sarah."

"Mr. Kinsey." Sarah watched with a satisfied smile as the carriage drew away. Now she finally had Jack to herself.

Inside the carriage, Danny continued his shouts and struggles until a large hand was placed over his mouth. Tears came into his eyes as he realised that this was real - he was being taken away from his home, from Jack! By a very bad man, he decided as he looked at the white-haired man opposite him.

Kinsey stared at his newest acquisition. "I suppose you'll do, even if you are a bit scrawny. Listen well, boy. If you do what you're told, you will be treated well. Disobey me, and you won't like the consequences. Do you understand?"

When Danny's mouth was freed, he let forth a string of rude Latin phrases. Kinsey merely chuckled at the boy's defiance; they were all like this when they arrived. "We'll soon beat that out of you," he said. Then he nodded at Hanson, his hired hand.

A gag was placed in Danny's mouth and tied behind his head, preventing him from any further outbursts. Then his hands were tied in front of him before he was laid across Hanson's lap. Danny's trousers were lowered as Kinsey produced a short cane seemingly out of nowhere. It was handed to Hanson, who then proceeded to use it on Danny's bare bottom.

Danny's protests and cries of pain were muffled by the gag. His backside felt like it was on fire by the time the punishment stopped, and his face was wet with tears. He wanted Jack so much! He had to endure this until Jack came to rescue him - and he was positive that Jack would. He could get through this until then.

His trousers were roughly pulled back up and Danny scrambled away from the two men to the far side of the carriage and curled up, his arms around his knees. It was painful to sit down so he leaned to one side, trying to avoid the discomfort. He remained like that for the rest of the long, long journey.

****

Back at the estate, Sarah collected all of Danny's belongings and hid them, intending to burn them at a later date. When Jack came home, she expressed her concern that Danny may have run away. Unable to believe that, Jack searched Danny's room and when he found nothing, was forced to admit that it indeed appeared as though that was the case. He couldn't understand why though, and Sarah put forth the suggestion that maybe Danny had been afraid of going to an orphanage. Jack wanted to find Danny to reassure him that wouldn't be the case, and Sarah allowed him a few days of searching before convincing him that Danny would likely return of his own accord. Jack allowed himself to be convinced of that but it was a long time before he stopped thinking about Danny's fate.

****

For the first few days of his slavery, Danny was kept locked in the dark cellar underneath the house, which served to make him afraid of small, dark places. He cried for much of those days, praying that Jack would come and take him home again. But as the days passed, he realised that Sarah's treachery was complete; Jack was not going to come. Because of that, and the grief over his mother's death, Danny withdrew into himself to the point of being almost mute.

He tried to escape a couple of times in those early days but was quickly caught and then beaten in punishment. He rapidly learnt to bear the beatings, refusing to give Kinsey the satisfaction of expressing any pain. Danny soon learnt to obey orders with a minimum of fuss but he never let Kinsey subdue his spirit. One day, he vowed, he would return to the O'Neill estate and take his revenge on Sarah; that was the thought that kept him going. In the light of day, he knew that Jack had been tricked by her but in the darkness of night, fear that Jack just didn't care haunted him. All that kept him going was the day when he would be free again.
****

When Jack was twenty, Sarah bore him a son, Charles - who quickly became known as Charlie. Jack loved being a father and spent every possible minute he could with his son, despite the fact that most men of that era did not show their offspring any affection. Two years later, Sarah gave him a daughter, Anna, who was born early but developed into a robust child. Several miscarriages followed and finally the doctor stated that Sarah could not have any more children without putting her life at risk. Jack was content with the two children he had but Sarah, who actually didn't like children, felt that she had failed him by not producing at least one more son to secure the lineage. She also became resentful of the amount of time Jack spent with the children, and so a wedge was driven between them.

It didn't help, either, that Sarah's dislike of the children occasionally shone through the act she put on whenever Jack was around. This helped to take the shine off the love Jack had for Sarah and he began to see her as she really was - which started to make him suspicious about Daniel's disappearance. He also found an exercise book that had belonged to Daniel; Jack knew his friend would never have left it behind voluntarily. But whenever he asked her about it, she stuck to her story - that Daniel had run away, and therefore the book must have been accidentally left behind - so he couldn't gather any evidence and besides, he didn't know where to start looking for his young friend.

When Charlie was six, Jack decided to hire a tutor for him instead of sending him to school. With his blonde hair and blue eyes, Charlie reminded Jack of Danny, which prompted the decision to keep him home. Charlie, however, hated being tutored, much preferring to be outdoors with his father, and so tutors came and went rapidly, unable to cope with the boy.

****

Nineteen-year-old Daniel Jackson saw the advertisement in the paper on his master's desk and felt a thrill run through him. This was his chance to go back to the estate and find out just what had happened after he'd 'left'. His twentieth birthday was the next day and he would be a free man as he had scrounged enough money by doing extras chores for some of the servants - and occasionally teaching them to read - to buy back his freedom. And although he'd had little access to books while he was living with Kinsey, he had kept his mind active by repeatedly going over everything he had learnt, so he felt that he was qualified to be a tutor. A smile on his face, he rapidly completed his tasks while dreaming about his freedom.

Early the next morning he limped into Kinsey's den where the old man was already at work. The limp was the product of a fractured ankle five years earlier; the accident had occurred when Kinsey had pushed him down the stairs in a fit of rage. It had healed but he had been left with a slight limp. Daniel had quickly adapted to his disability and added the incident to his growing resentment of his situation.

"What is it?" Kinsey growled when he saw the boy enter his den.

Daniel dropped the bag of coins on the desk with a loud thud. "I think you'll find there is enough money for my freedom."

Kinsey opened the bag and saw that there was plenty of money. However, he didn't want to lose a servant. "I own you," he stated, anger in his voice.

"Not any more," Daniel countered; he had retrieved the Bill of Sale the night before so that he had evidence to show Jack. "Go find yourself another slave." He swiftly turned to walk out before Kinsey could stop him. However, as he stepped out the door, Hanson blocked his way.

From behind him, Kinsey chuckled. "If you can get past Hanson, you're free to go," he stated, confident that Daniel wouldn't be able to do it.

Despite the fact that Hanson was stronger than him, Daniel had determination and surprise on his side. Holding the man's gaze for a long moment until Hanson was sure that he would give in, Daniel swiftly kneed him in the groin. When Hanson doubled over from the pain and fell to the floor, clutching his groin, Daniel simply walked past him and out of the house.

Stepping onto the street for the first time as a free man, Daniel took a deep breath and savoured the moment. Being a slave for eight years made him truly appreciate being out in the fresh air. His time spent in Kinsey's house could have been worse, he knew; the female servants were frequently raped by Hanson and Kinsey. That was why Kinsey had pushed him down the stairs - Daniel had been trying to protect one of the girls. Beatings had been common in the household, and Daniel had suffered his fair share. For someone who hadn't been used to so much violence, it had been a hard life to adjust to.

Finding his way to a tailor's shop, Daniel bought two suits of reasonable quality, and then he continued on to the coach station, hoping he had enough money left for a trip to Kettering and the Ballangeich estate.

****

It was a tedious job interviewing tutors, and Jack was frustrated at the end of the second day. Twenty men had applied for the job but he had found none whom he believed were suitable. He had just poured himself a brandy when there was a knock on his study door. "Enter," he called out.

The senior housemaid, Caroline, entered and curtsied to her master. "Sir, a Mr. Jackson has just arrived to see you about the tutoring position."

Jackson! No, Jack shook his head; it couldn't be Danny. That would be too much of a coincidence. He sighed and put the brandy down. "Send him in." Jack turned back to look out of the study window, preparing his questions for the interview.

Quiet, uneven footsteps entered the room before an equally quiet voice said, "Hello, Jack."

Spinning around in shock, Jack stared at the young man standing there. The face was more mature, the hair darker, and the man much taller, but Jack had no difficulty in recognising his childhood friend. "Danny!" He quickly covered the space between them and enveloped Danny in a firm embrace.

Daniel was overwhelmed with joy that Jack remembered him, and he buried his face in Jack's shoulder as he tried to keep his emotions from overflowing. He was finally home again! He held on tight to Jack, needing the connection so he knew it was real. "I missed you," he said into Jack's shoulder.

"I missed you too," Jack said, understanding perfectly. He was reluctant to let go, wanting to keep Danny close to him so he knew it wasn't an illusion. One hand found its way into Danny's hair to cradle the head against him. "You shouldn't have left in the first place."

Daniel felt the first stirring of unease at those words. He had forgotten for a moment that Jack likely didn't know what really happened. "I didn't want to leave," he stated, pulling back from Jack's embrace.

"Then why did you? I wouldn't have let you go to an orphanage," Jack said, becoming puzzled by Danny's reaction.

"I know. But it wasn't my choice." Daniel knew that his story was not going to go over well with Jack but he had to tell it anyway, even if he lost his friend. He had waited eight years for this moment.

"What do you mean, it wasn't your choice? You ran away," Jack accused him but there was a hint of doubt in his voice, his suspicions about what Sara had done coming back to him.

Daniel shook his head "No, Jack. I was sold."

The seriousness of that statement made Jack pause. Sold? That wasn't possible. But then, he had never known Danny to lie. "Sold?"

"Yes."

"By whom?" There were only a few possibilities of who would have had the authority to do such a thing and one of them was...

Daniel took a deep breath, wrapped his arms around his chest, and looked Jack directly in the eye. "Sarah."

Jack was shaking his head before he even realised it. "She wouldn't do that." But a little voice in his head contradicted him at the same time Daniel did.

"She did." Daniel wasn't going to back down on this. "She waited until you had gone and then she sold me to a man named Kinsey. I even have the proof of sale," he stated.

Jack didn't want to believe it but he could hear the honesty in Danny's voice. "Why would she do that?"

"Because she wanted to get rid of me," Daniel's voice held a tinge of anger now. "She wanted all of your attention and I got in the way." Even at twelve he had known that.

That was a truth that Jack couldn't deny. His wife's self-centredness and need for attention had often angered him of late. The years had eroded away the lust and emotion he had thought was love, and Jack was no longer blinded by them. He turned away and went over to the window. "She wouldn't have done that," he denied, more in hope than belief.

Daniel's heart sank. He had gambled and lost. Jack didn't believe him. Sarah still held too much influence over him. "I'm sorry." He turned and headed for the door.

The movement alerted Jack to Danny's intentions. "Wait!" When Danny stopped, his back still to Jack, the latter continued. "Just - wait a moment." He needed some time to sort this through.

Hope flared inside Daniel; maybe Jack did, on some level, believe him. He swivelled on his good leg to face Jack.

The older man looked long and hard into Danny's blue eyes that hid nothing. He saw hope there as well as a weary resignation; Danny knew he would have to leave if Jack didn't believe him.

Jack didn't want him to go.

"Show me the paper," he said, walking over to the younger man.

Daniel took it out of his suit pocket and handed it to Jack. Then he waited silently as Jack examined it.

Jack immediately recognised his wife's handwriting. It wasn't a legal document, just a piece of paper stating the simple facts - and it was enough to make Jack believe Daniel. "I'm sorry," he said. "I should have known."

"You were in love," Daniel replied, shrugging his shoulders. He had accepted that a long time ago.

"Still, I should have pressed harder, looked further," Jack stated. He had known that Danny wouldn't simply run away. "I should have trusted my instincts."

Daniel was saved from a reply when the study door flew open and a young boy ran into the room, heading straight for Jack.

"Da!" Charlie jumped into his father's waiting arms. "Mama says that dinner is almost ready," he reported before looking curiously at the stranger.

"Charlie, this is Mr. Jackson. He's an old friend of mine," Jack introduced them to each other. "Danny, this is Charlie, my son."

"Pleased to meet you," Daniel said politely, smiling at Charlie.

"Are you my new tutor?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, he is," Jack said before Danny could say anything. He met Danny's incredulous stare with a steady one of his own. He wanted Danny to stay, and he knew the younger man was very smart. It would be a win-win situation... except for one small detail. "Charlie, could you please tell your mother that I need to speak with her?" He put his son down and ruffled his hair.

Daniel's heart skipped a beat as he remembered Jack doing that to him. There would be no such occasion now; they were both grown men and such affection was not allowed.

"Okay, Da." Charlie ran out of the study.

"You really want me to stay?" Daniel asked as soon as Charlie was gone.

"I really do," Jack confirmed.

"I've been a slave for eight years," Daniel pointed out, deliberately not using the word 'servant'; there was a difference between the two and he knew that Jack knew what it was. "I haven't picked up a book in that time."

"I know." Jack could imagine the conditions that Danny had been subjected to, knowing how some people ran their households. "I have confidence in you, Danny."

That simple statement threatened to unlock his emotions but Daniel held them in check. He needed to be angry at Sarah, and he didn't want to cry in front of Jack. "It's Daniel now. And thank you."

There was a knock on the door before Jack could say anything to that, and then Sarah entered the room. "You wanted to see me, Jack?" she said without taking any notice of the other person in the room.

"Yes." Jack felt his anger rise within him and he pushed it down for the moment. "I have hired a new tutor for Charlie."

"Surely you don't need my approval for that," Sarah laughed. "Who is it?"

Jack looked over her shoulder. "I believe you two have met."

Sarah followed his gaze and nearly fainted when she saw who it was. No - it couldn't be! The hatred burning in the blue eyes told her however, that it was indeed true. "I... uh, you're back!" she said in a falsely cheerful voice. "How wonderful!"

"Knock it off, Sarah," Jack cut in angrily. "I know what happened. I can't believe you would do such a thing!" He had trusted his wife and she had repaid him by selling his best friend into slavery!

Sarah tried to rally, tried to save herself. "Do what? What lies has he been telling you?"

"No lies," Daniel said, a steely note to his voice. "Just the truth."

"Surely you don't believe him," Sarah said as she turned to her husband. "You know he never liked me."

"For good reason, it seems," Jack replied. He held up the note of sale. "Next time, make sure there's no evidence."

Sarah's eyes narrowed briefly as she cursed Kinsey for being careless. Then the pleading, innocent expression was back as she quickly thought up an excuse. "It's obviously a forgery."

"Sarah." There was a warning note in Jack's voice.

"Fine." She changed her story seeing that Jack wasn't going to believe that lie. "It was your father's idea."

"What?" came the simultaneous exclamations from both men. Then Jack shook his head in denial. "My father would never have thought of doing that... let alone get you to do it." His father had always understood how much Daniel had meant to him.

"Well, he did." And the good thing was Seamus O'Neill wasn't around to deny it. "He knew that you wouldn't do it so he asked me to. He said that he wasn't running a charitable institution."

Jack didn't believe her. His father had been dying and had known that Daniel, as a servant of the estate, would have soon been Jack's responsibility.

"You liar!" Daniel accused. He looked at his nemesis with hatred, eight years of resentment coming to the fore. "It was your idea! You sold me!"

Sarah ignored him, focusing on her husband. "Who are you going to believe, darling? Him... or your wife?"

Jack didn't hesitate to answer; his love for Sarah didn't exist any more, and he knew she was lying. "I believe Daniel."

"What?!" Sarah screeched in shock. "How dare you! He's just a servant!"

"No! He is my friend!" Jack shot back. "More than that, he was like a brother to me! And you sold him as a slave! My father would never have approved of that!" Seamus' views on slavery had been well known.

Sarah trembled with fear and anger; fear that she was about to lose her security and position in society, and anger because Jack had taken his side. Because of that, she lashed out at them both. "Maybe you didn't know your father as well as you thought, Jack! After all, you didn't know that he kept a mistress, did you?"

Jack's eyes narrowed at the accusation. "No, he didn't," he denied.

"Oh yes, he did," Sarah lied. She whirled around to face Daniel. "His mother," she accused.

"No," Daniel denied, knowing she was lying.

"Why else did he contract cholera when neither Jack nor I did?" Sarah continued.

Daniel shook his head. "My mother was no man's mistress." He was certain of that and equally certain that Sarah was lying to hurt him.

Sarah stared smugly at him. "That's true. She was nothing but a common whore."

Daniel saw red at the insult and he stepped forward to hit Sarah, his anger overwhelming his reason.

"Don't!" Jack quickly stepped in front of Daniel and grabbed his shoulders.

"She's lying," Daniel grated.

"I know." A riding accident when Jack was seven had left Seamus O'Neill unable to perform in bed; Jack had heard his father's drunken mutterings on more than one occasion. When he was sure that Daniel had calmed down, Jack turned to Sarah. "Get out of my house."

Sarah's eyes widened. No, he couldn't do this to her. "Jack--"

"I want you gone. You have lied to me, slandered my father's good name, and insulted my friend." Jack's eyes were cold as he glared at her. "You will leave and never return."

She had lost everything! The shame of her position hit her suddenly and she crumpled to the floor, tears in her eyes. "You don't mean that," she begged. Where would she go? What would she tell people?

"Yes, I do." Jack strode to the study door and opened it. Nearby, Bert, the butler, was approaching. "Bert!"

"Yes, sir?" Bert asked. He had worked for the household for ten years and was very loyal to Jack.

"Please escort Mrs. O'Neill to the bedroom so that she may pack her belongings. Then escort her to the door," he instructed.

"Is Madam going on a holiday, sir?" Bert inquired curiously - and hopefully.

"No. She is simply going. Make sure that she has no contact with the children." Jack was not going to let his wife take his children away from him.

"Yes, sir." Bert hid a smile; it was about time that his master got rid of the woman. Mrs. O'Neill was not popular amongst the servants.

Knowing she had lost, Sarah meekly stood and followed the butler out of the study.

Jack went over to his chair and collapsed into it. How had things changed so drastically in less than thirty minutes?

"I'm sorry."

Daniel's quiet voice caused Jack to look up. "For what?"

"For everything." Daniel felt guilty for placing Jack in this situation. "I didn't mean for things to turn out this way."

Jack knew that; the boy he'd known hadn't had a mean bone in his body. "It's not your fault." He couldn't believe how blind he had been. "I'm sorry she insulted your mother like that."

"Thank you." Daniel heard the sincerity in Jack's voice, and now that the anger was gone, tears threatened to spill from his eyes. He'd never had a chance to truly mourn his mother's death, and to have her memory insulted in such a way... He turned away so that Jack wouldn't see the tears. "What will you tell your children?"

Jack could see the tense muscles across Daniel's shoulders, not to mention the self-hug. Silently, he got up and went over to Daniel to embrace him, holding on tight. "I don't know," he whispered. He hadn't thought that far ahead.

Daniel hesitated and then put his arms around Jack's waist. He tried not to think about how inappropriate this was and just took comfort in Jack's embrace. Eight years of hope, despair and revenge had just ended, and he was the one whom Jack had wanted to stay. Feeling loved again, his control broke and suddenly he was crying.

Jack was embarrassed by Daniel's emotions but he didn't let go. He couldn't imagine how Daniel had felt since being taken away, and knew that the younger man needed the release. So Jack held on, soothing Daniel by stroking his back until the flood of tears abated.

"Da?" a small voice inquired.

The two men quickly sprang apart, and Jack turned to face his four-year-old daughter. "Yes, Anna?"

"I'm hungry." She stuck her thumb in her mouth as she stared at the stranger her father had just been hugging.

"Of course you are." Jack had forgotten all about dinner. He crouched down to her level. "You and Charlie go to the dining room, okay? I'll be there in a minute," he promised. Then he remembered what his wife might be tempted to do. "On second thoughts, we'll all go together."

"Okay," Anna said as her father lifted her into his arms.

On the way to the dining room, Jack introduced his daughter to Daniel, and then they found Charlie. When the children were seated at the table, Jack gestured for Daniel to sit in Sarah's chair. Daniel shook his head; he didn't want to do that with Sarah not even gone.

Before Jack could insist, Charlie spoke up. "Da, where's Mama?"

"She's, uh, she had to leave. Her... brother is very ill," Jack quickly made up an excuse.

"Uncle Teddy?" Anna inquired, her thumb going back into her mouth.

"Yes, Uncle Teddy," Jack confirmed. Teddy, Sarah's younger brother, lived far enough away in Peterborough that going to visit would be out of the question. "She wanted to say goodbye to you two, but I told her I would do it for her so she could get to Teddy faster." He hated lying to his children but he thought it was necessary; he couldn't tell them the truth.

Daniel just stood there feeling guilty that he had been the catalyst for the two children losing their mother. That hadn't featured in his plans for revenge. "Jack, I don't think I should be here--"

"Sit down, Daniel, and eat. It'll be fine," Jack assured him; he wanted his friend there.

"You know, I really should be eating with the other servants--" Daniel tried to protest.

"Your employment doesn't officially start till tomorrow, so today you are a guest," Jack stated, getting around the rules of society. "So sit down and enjoy."

Reluctantly, Daniel sat down and dined with the O'Neills. He didn't think he would have much of an appetite but he managed to eat everything that was put before him - for the main course, at least. Daniel had to refuse dessert; his stomach wasn't used to much food at one time.

While everyone was eating, Sarah packed as much of her belongings as she could, all the time cursing Daniel. He was the cause of all this, she had no doubt. She couldn't explain why Jack had taken his side and she resented Daniel for that. Friends were not supposed to be believed over wives! With every curse that she uttered, Sarah hated Daniel more and she swore she would make him pay. And if she could make Jack suffer at the same time, it would be all the better.

Sarah decided to go to her parents, who lived in the next town. That way she would be close enough to spy on the household while she plotted her revenge. She would make them both pay.

****

Jack walked Daniel to the spare bedroom later, having enjoyed catching up with his friend. Daniel hadn't revealed too much about his time as a slave but Jack could read between the lines. He also figured that the injury that had caused Daniel's limp had been inflicted by Kinsey. Jack felt like going to Cambridge and giving Kinsey a taste of his own medicine but, given the anger he felt at the moment, he would probably end up killing the man and then he would be jailed and the children sent to their mother. At least Daniel was here now; that was what counted. But if he ever came across Kinsey... "This will be your room," he said as they reached the spare bedroom. "It's not much but..."

Daniel surveyed the room. It only had the basics - a single bed, a wardrobe, a desk and chair, and a lantern on the bedside table - but it was more than Daniel was used to. "It will be fine," he reassured Jack.

"Well, I'll leave you to it then," Jack said awkwardly after a pause. He wasn't sure that he wanted to let Daniel out of his sight so soon. "My room's just down the hall if you need anything."

"Thank you." Daniel was genuinely grateful for all that Jack was doing for him.

There was another pause. "Well... goodnight then. Oh, and Happy Birthday," Jack remembered.

Daniel was so surprised that Jack had remembered that he didn't say anything as the older man walked away. As he went into his new room, Daniel had a warm feeling inside. Jack had remembered; that meant a lot to Daniel. It showed that he truly hadn't been forgotten.

He quickly got ready for bed, putting on the old shirt that he had worn at Kinsey's. Hopefully he would have enough money soon to buy a new one... provided that he could actually teach. Tomorrow, he would find out.

****

In the morning, Daniel awoke refreshed from his long sleep. Then sun was beginning to peek through the curtains and outside, a rooster was heralding in the dawn. It was probably too early to get up yet, although he didn't have a clock or watch to tell him. Nor did he know the household routine after being away for so long.

With a sigh, Daniel sat up and blearily surveyed his surroundings. A white basin and jug now sat on the table, which meant that someone must have brought them in while he slept. He briefly wondered whether it had been Jack, not sure how he felt about that. As much as he had missed his close friendship with Jack, Daniel knew they would have to keep a professional relationship; Jack was akin to nobility, Daniel was not. Now that they were adults, they would both have to respect that fact. He would have to get used to calling Jack 'sir' as informality was improper for their respective positions - although part of him hoped that Jack would want to break that rule.

Despondent, Daniel lay back down and stared at the ceiling. During his time at Kinsey's, he had fantasised about coming back and how things would not have changed; now he realised how foolish he had been. They had both changed over the years, and now Daniel was Jack's employee. Their relationship would never be the same again.

Daniel shook his head, trying to rid himself of the heaviness that had settled over him at the thought. He could live with this - he would live with this. He hadn't lost Jack's friendship so he had something to be thankful for. He would just have to remember to be more realistic in the future about what he expected out of life.

At least he'd had his revenge on Sarah, although he now felt guilty that she had been cast out without being allowed to say goodbye to her children. What would the children think of him when they discovered the real reason their mother left? They would hate him, not understanding the whole story and their mother's actions in selling Daniel.

But there was no point in dwelling on that now. He had a job to do and had just realised that he hadn't discussed the details with Jack. So he would have to get up and find Jack as soon as possible.

He found Jack in the kitchen eating breakfast. "Good morning, Sir."

Jack turned, a smile forming at the sight of his friend. There were times during the night when he had thought it had been a dream. "Good morning. Sleep well?"

"Very well, Sir," Daniel replied. He sat down opposite Jack. "Am I too early, Sir?"

Jack looked at Daniel, puzzled at him using the formal title, but he decided not to question that yet. "That depends. You weren't planning on starting tutoring today, were you?" Jack stood up, got a large plate, and started filling it with food.

"I, uh, I hadn't really thought about what I'd do after I got here, Sir," Daniel admitted.

"Daniel, you don't have to call me 'sir'. You're my friend," Jack pointed out, uncomfortable with hearing the word coming from Daniel's mouth. When Daniel appeared too stunned to reply, Jack continued. "You'll need a day or two to get organised," he said as he brought the plate back and set it in front of Daniel. "There are plenty of books in the study - some of them you might need. And I'll show you around the estate so you can see the improvements I've made."

Daniel relaxed a bit, grateful that Jack had given the matter some thought. There was just one thing though. "Jack, I'm your employee now. Should you be treating me like this?"

Jack stared at him then repeated sternly, "You are my friend, Daniel. And this is my estate. I can treat you however I want," he added with a grin.

"But what will the others say?" He didn't want the other servants to resent him.

"Most of them will remember you fondly," Jack shrugged it off. Daniel was his friend; he would not treat the younger man otherwise, no matter what the class rules stated. "So eat up and then we'll get going."

Daniel looked down at himself and the suit he was wearing. "Um..."

Jack caught on quickly. "You can get changed first."

"Uh..." How could he admit this without being embarrassed? "I don't have anything else, just the two suits," Daniel said, unable to meet Jack's eyes. The suit he had worn yesterday needed to be washed after a day of travelling, and this was his only other change of clothes.

"Oh." He should have known that. Pushing aside the question of how Daniel had managed to get two suits, Jack rapidly thought of a solution. "You can borrow something of mine," he offered. "Then we can go into town this afternoon and buy you some clothes. Consider it an advance on your salary," Jack added, heading off an argument about money.

Daniel hesitated, not wanting to be a charity case like he'd been at school. "I don't want to be any trouble. I can wait."

"Why wait?" Jack poured himself a cup of coffee which he'd had imported from overseas and was one of the few in the county who did so. "Besides, you're going to need a few changes of clothes so we might as well do it today."

"If you insist," Daniel gave in. He rather liked the idea of owning more than two sets of clothes.

Jack grinned, although he was a bit puzzled by Daniel's manner. "I insist. And why are you being so formal?"

Daniel looked down at his breakfast. "I know you said that we're friends but--"

"Ah!" Jack cut him off. "We are friends, Daniel, that's not going to change."

"That's not realistic, Jack," Daniel countered; reality had been harshly drummed into him over the last eight years.

"Don't start that again," the older man warned. Daniel was his friend; nothing else mattered. "Now come on, eat up." He gestured towards the plate of food.

Daniel looked at the breakfast: bacon, eggs, and bread and dripping. At Kinsey's, he'd only ever had bread or gruel for breakfast - and some extra scraps if the cook had any - so he wasn't quite sure if his stomach could cope with the abundance of food. But he supposed there was only one way to find out.

It was good that Daniel was eating, Jack decided as he watched his friend. Daniel was very thin and had hardly eaten last night at dinner. Probably had only been fed the necessities, he decided as Daniel ate quickly. Jack was still in shock over the previous days' events; how could Sarah had sold Daniel into slavery? He was glad, however, that Daniel had come back and told him, otherwise he would always have wondered - and Daniel probably would have died without him knowing about it.

After breakfast, Daniel changed into some of Jack's old clothes while the older man roused the children. When everyone was ready, they mounted the horses and headed off for a tour of the estate. Because Anna was too little to ride by herself, she rode with Jack. Charlie, however, rode on his pony, and was proud of the fact that he was riding by himself like the adults.

Daniel hadn't been on a horse for a very long time and he knew he was going to be extremely sore by the end of the morning. But he resolved not to complain because he wanted to spend time with Jack. He listened attentively as Jack talked about the changes he had made to the estate, and smiled wistfully as Jack patiently answered all sorts of questions from the two children. Daniel remembered how Jack had done the same to him when they were both young. What good times those had been.

They had sandwiches for lunch on the bank of the dam which resided on the property, and then continued on. Since they weren't hurrying, it took another hour to get back to the house. By the time everyone got changed to go into town, it was two o'clock.

Daniel had been right; his muscles were very sore and walking around the streets was very difficult. Because the children were so young, they took the horse-and-buggy to town. Daniel stared at the scenery, seeing in his mind's eye all the times that he and Jack had walked to same route to and from school, as well as the times he had travelled alone. It had been a long trip in those days whereas now it hardly seemed any time at all.

Jack saw the faraway look in Daniel's eyes and figured that the younger man was remembering. He had done the same thing himself many times over the past eight years. "Daniel, do you still need glasses?" he asked, remembering the incident that had revealed that need.

"Huh?" Daniel was brought out of his memories. "Pardon?" he corrected himself.

"Glasses?" Jack repeated.

"Oh. I think so." He had adapted to life without them so he hadn't given any thought to getting new ones.

Jack mentally added a visit to the doctor to his list of things to do. He expected that he would get an argument from Daniel about it but he would do it anyway. "Anything else we need to get, kids?"

"Lollies!" Charlie and Anna shouted together, making the two adults laugh. The children were riding in the back and having a great time.

"Only if you're very well-behaved," Jack promised. He didn't spoil his children but he did love them, and so far they had turned out very well.

"Yes, Da," came the happy responses.

In town, the group went to the clothing store first and purchased some knockabout clothes for Daniel plus another suit. Then they went to the doctor's clinic where Daniel was tested for new glasses. Then it was on to the candy shop so that the children could get their treats.

There was a big man in there, equal to Jack's six-foot-two height, but twice as heavy. When he saw the group come in, he said, "Afternoon, O'Neill," but his expression wasn't friendly.

"Afternoon, Davidson," Jack replied politely, keeping his children well away from the man.

Daniel's eyes widened in recognition: Tommy Davidson, the school bully. Oh, this wasn't good.

"And your friend is?" Tommy asked, spying Daniel and sizing him up.

"Daniel Jackson," Jack stated. "Surely you remember him?"

"Ah yes." Tommy took a good look at the younger man and decided that Daniel was very good-looking. "Still a pretty boy, ain't ya?" he said with contempt.

Daniel was saved from replying by the saleswoman giving Davidson his order. He hoped that the bully wouldn't cause trouble again but given the comment, it was probably only a matter of time.

Tommy left without another word to anyone but sent a smug glance in Daniel's direction. The younger man felt a chill go down his spine; Davidson was going to make his life difficult if he had the chance.

Jack noticed something was bothering Daniel but didn't have the chance to ask in the candy shop. He really didn't need to ask though; he knew the history between the two. But there would be little opportunity for Davidson to hassle Daniel so Jack put it at the back of his mind.

On the way home, Anna - having decided she liked Daniel - crawled onto his lap and offered him a lolly. Not used to having children on his lap, let alone being offered a lolly by one, Daniel looked uncertainly over at Jack. He received a nod so Daniel looked down at Anna and smiled. "Thank you."

After he took the lolly, Anna nestled back against his chest. Jack grinned, amused and a little surprised that Anna had taken to Daniel so quickly. "Seems like you've made yourself a friend."

"It seems so," Daniel commented, looking down at the little girl in his lap. He didn't know what had prompted Anna to like him but he felt like an impostor. It should be her mother that was holding her - even though he hated Sarah, he knew how important mothers were. He didn't know what to do with Anna, or what to say to her. It turned out that he didn't have to do or say anything. Anna kept up a constant stream of chatter, telling him about every lolly, her pets and her brother.

Jack had to fight a grin; Anna sounded a lot like Daniel used to. It pleased him that his daughter had decided to be friends with Daniel, plus it indicated that he had made the right choice. Daniel would be a good influence on his children.

****

The next day, Anna wanted to 'go to school' like Charlie, so Daniel found himself with two students. Jack figured that it was the best way to keep Anna occupied since Sarah wasn't around to watch her anymore; it was also the best way of keeping track of his children. Daniel had to split his attention between the two children but overall, he found teaching easier than he had expected. And when Anna gave him a hug at the end of 'school', he was surprised and then very pleased. Maybe he could do this after all.

****

After school two weeks later, Jack took Daniel and the children out to an isolated spot for some shooting practice. Normally he wouldn't have brought his children along but he was still paranoid over the possibility of them being taken away from him by Sarah. He settled them well out of danger but where he could keep an eye on them and then turned his attention to Daniel.

"I don't need to learn this," Daniel stated as Jack approached carrying a rifle. He didn't like guns of any sort.

"Yes, you do." Jack always made sure that every man he employed could use a gun or rifle to defend either himself or the estate. "It's a good skill to have just in case."

"Jack--"

"Daniel, I'm trusting you with my children. I need you to be able to protect them." And yourself, Jack mentally added, knowing that Daniel might be a target too.

The younger man couldn't argue with that. "Very well. What do I do?"

Jack went through all the safety procedures and instructions on how to load the gun before handing it over. Then he told Daniel how to hold it. "No, that's not right," he said as Daniel lifted the rifle. Jack stood behind his friend and helped him hold the rifle correctly.

Daniel's breath hitched as a sudden heat rushed through him and made him hard. It scared him; he had never felt this way before. He didn't know what was causing it and that frightened him too.

"It's okay," Jack said, feeling Daniel tense up and mistakenly believing it was because of the rifle. "Just relax."

"I-I can't." Daniel's breathing had become more rapid. What was he going to do? He could feel Jack's warm breath against his beck and the sensation made him even harder.

Concerned, Jack helped Daniel to lower the gun and then he moved to stand in front of his friend. He could see the panic in the wide blue eyes and it alarmed him. "Danny, what's wrong?"

The warmth was receding now that Jack had moved but the panic was still there. Why had he become hard? His complete innocence in sexual matters meant that he couldn't answer that question. He had sometimes felt a fluttering in his stomach at the sight of a pretty maid but nothing like this. "I'm, uh, I'm..." How could he tell Jack? It would be completely embarrassing, especially as the children were nearby. He felt his erection begin to fade at that thought, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "It's nothing."

Jack was inclined to disagree. "It looked like you were going to faint," he pointed out.

"I'm fine now," Daniel said, trying to make his voice sound calm. "I just... don't like guns." It was a weak excuse and he knew it.

"Of course." Jack didn't buy it for a second but he didn't push for the truth. Daniel would tell him when he was ready. "You okay to keep going?"

Daniel took a deep breath and then nodded; he could do this. "Yes." As Jack stepped out of the way, Daniel lifted the rifle and aimed it at the target. He tried to ignore the feeling of Jack's hands on his arms but his body still responded - although thankfully not as adamantly as before. The sooner he learned to shoot, the better.

****

That evening after the children had gone to bed, Jack tried to find out the cause of Daniel's panic but to no avail. Daniel had clammed up and was also keeping his distance from Jack. The older man was puzzled, and if he examined his feelings, hurt, by this behaviour but knew he couldn't push Daniel about it or he would make things worse. Still, it worried him that Daniel wouldn't talk to him; he had thought they could share everything. What could be so bad that Daniel wouldn't talk about it?

****

Jack was woken by a shout. He quickly got out of bed and checked on his children - both of whom, he discovered, were sleeping soundly. So then, on a hunch, he went further down to Daniel's room. "Danny?"

Daniel looked up with a startled expression when there was a knock on his bedroom door. There was only one person whom it could be and he didn't want Jack to come in. "I'm fine," he called out, realising too late that he should have stayed quiet and let Jack think he was asleep.

The door opened and Jack came into the bedroom. "Bad dream?" he inquired before explaining, "I thought I heard someone shout."

"Oh." Daniel hoped that Jack hadn't understood what he had shouted out. "I'm sorry."

"No problem. You want to talk about it?" Jack offered, coming further into the room. What was that he could smell?

"Uh, no, I'm fine, really," Daniel hastened to assure him. "Just go back to bed."

The source of the smell suddenly became clear to Jack and he looked away in embarrassment. "Okay. See you in the morning."

Daniel waited until Jack had gone before he got up and looked at the sticky mess on his night-shirt. He had woken up with erections before, sometimes even ejaculating too, but never had he experienced such an erotic dream. It scared him greatly because it had been about Jack. All the other dreams had been faceless people grunting like he had heard Hanson and Kinsey doing.

But this time had been completely different. It had started off with a warm body behind him. Then fingers had started to caress his bare arms before moving across his chest. The caressing had gone on for some time until finally the person behind him had moved into his vision. As soon as he had seen Jack, his seed had spilled out of him and he had woken with a shout, Jack's name on his lips.

Daniel stripped off his night-shirt then got his other one out of the wardrobe and put it on. Quietly, so that no-one would hear him, he lit his candle and took the shirt out to the laundry. He didn't want anyone to know what had happened. He didn't know it was normal to have those kinds of dreams, albeit usually not with another man in them. All he knew was that he had done something bad and no-one could know about it.

Unknown to him, Jack did know about it but as he didn't know about Daniel's lack of fatherly advice, he didn't think anymore about it. But he wouldn't disturb Daniel at night again.

****

Daniel continued to have erotic dreams every night, their intensity depending on how much contact he'd had with Jack that day. He was starting to tense up whenever Jack came near, and pulled away when they came into contact.

Finally, Jack got so hurt by Daniel's actions that he approached the young man about it after supper one evening about two weeks after the rifle incident. "What did I do wrong?" he asked, noticing that his friend couldn't even look him in the eye.

"Excuse me?" Daniel had expected to be approached about his behaviour but that wasn't the question he had thought Jack would ask.

"We are friends, Daniel, and now it seems like you can't stand to be around me," Jack said in a bewildered voice. "Is it because of the shooting lessons? I know you didn't like them."

"Not exactly," Daniel hedged. He really didn't want to discuss this.

"Then what exactly is it?" demanded the older man.

Daniel hung his head. "It's private." Men didn't talk about such things.

"Does this have something to do with the shirts that are drying in your room every morning?" Jack asked, his tone more gentle. One of the maids had mentioned it to him just the other day. When Daniel's cheeks turned red, Jack knew he had hit the nail on the head, so to speak. "Daniel, it's okay. It's just normal, especially when you don't have a woman in your bed."

Daniel looked sideways at him. "Really?"

"Really," Jack confirmed. "So who were you dreaming about? That blonde maid in the kitchen? Or maybe someone from Kinsey's place?"

"No," Daniel murmured. He looked down at his hands; somehow he didn't think it would be normal to confess to having dreams about a man.

"Well, who then?" Jack persisted. He had missed having a brother he could tease about things like this.

"It was you!" Daniel blurted out. Then he crossed the room to stare out the window, his arms hugging his chest, embarrassed. He couldn't face Jack because he didn't want to see the revulsion in his friend's eyes.

Jack couldn't speak for a while after that bombshell. Him? Daniel dreamt about him? He had to have heard that wrong. "Me?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know why it's happening but I can't stop it!" Daniel spoke in a rush. His voice softened. "You make me... hard."

Absently, Jack wondered why the news didn't shock or disgust him more. Both reactions were there, just not very pronounced. Then he had a thought. "Daniel, have you ever had a woman?"

Daniel tensed up even further. "No," he admitted, his cheeks burning. He had been a slave; there had been no opportunity for such a thing.

"Well, that explains it then. You haven't done the real thing to imagine it." Jack was pleased that he had found a rational explanation for it; it was easier than believing that Daniel wanted him. "Ask one of the maids to show you." He had seen how the young ones eyed Daniel up.

Daniel shook his head. "I have no idea what to do, Jack. They'd just laugh at me."

Jack could see that Daniel was really worried about the whole thing. "Look, leave it with me. I'll find someone who won't laugh, okay?"

Turning partially to look at Jack, Daniel said, "So you're not mad at me? I'm not perverted?"

"No, you're not," Jack assured him. "It's just a phase. It'll pass, trust me." He went over and put his arm across Daniel's shoulders.

Daniel hesitated before replying, "Okay." He still wasn't sure he wasn't bad for having those kinds of dreams but he would have to take Jack's word that he wasn't.

Jack shook his head; Daniel was so naive about sex. He would have to ensure that the young man got the best education money could buy.

****

Three weeks later, Jack still hadn't organised anything but he had given Daniel a bunch of cards with naked ladies on them to inspire him. It didn't help - Daniel still dreamed of Jack - but the younger man pretended that everything was alright. Besides, he was coming to like Jack's touches now, and his heart fluttered in anticipation whenever Jack drew near. But he didn't realise that it meant he was falling in love with Jack.

Nor did Jack realise he was falling in love with Daniel. His symptoms were similar - he enjoyed touching Daniel, he experienced a few wet dreams with Daniel as the star, and he wanted to be around Daniel a lot. But he still didn't realise.

It took two events, one disconcerting and the other shocking in nature, for them to realise just what they meant to each other.

****

Late one night, Daniel and Jack were relaxing in the den when the topic of sex came up again. Jack had noticed the looks that one of the maids, Sharon, had been giving Daniel at dinner that evening, and he decided to tease his friend about it. "So, had any offers yet?"

Daniel looked at Jack in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"From the maids," Jack prompted. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh. Um, no, actually," Daniel replied, looking away in embarrassment and fiddling with the glass of whiskey in his hands.

"You're kidding me!" Jack exclaimed. Daniel was so good-looking, Jack was thoroughly amazed that no-one had tried to entice him into bed.

"No, I'm not." Daniel looked at Jack to give him a brief self-depreciating smile. "I guess I'm not their type." He could understand that, given how often Kinsey and Hanson had criticised him or his looks.

Jack shook his head; Daniel was everyone's type. "Have you tried asking any of them?"

"No." How could he admit to not wanting any of them? The only person he had any longings for was Jack, and Daniel didn't think that confession would go over too well.

"Why not?"

Daniel shrugged. "They're not my type." He wasn't going to explain any further than that.

"Not your type?" Jack said incredulously. "Some of them are very pretty."

"Then you take them to bed," Daniel argued, feeling a stab of jealousy as he suggested it. He didn't like the idea of Jack sharing his bed with anyone.

"What has got into you?" Jack couldn't understand why Daniel didn't find some of the maids attractive. And even if he didn't like them, it shouldn't stop him from bedding any of them.

"Nothing's got into me," Daniel shot back. "Just because I don't want to start any relationships with--"

"Wait," Jack interrupted. "I never said anything about a relationship. I'm just talking about getting some experience."

Daniel felt a stab of pain in his heart although he didn't know why exactly. "Well, I don't think that's me, Jack." After so much uncertainty and hatred in the last eight years, all he wanted was someone who loved him and whom he loved in return; was that too much to ask for?

Jack shook his head again. "How do you know until you've tried it?"

"Just leave it, Jack." Daniel wanted the conversation to stop before too much was said. He stood up to leave.

"Are you still dreaming about me?" Jack asked impulsively before Daniel could leave.

Daniel hesitated, and then replied, "No."

Jack couldn't believe it. Daniel had just lied to him; he could tell by the pause and the tense body language. "You are, aren't you? That's why you don't want any of the maids."

"I said, leave it, Jack." Daniel turned and faced his friend with a glare; he didn't want to deal with this.

"But that's just..." Jack couldn't find the words to describe it. It wasn't normal for men to want men.

"Disgusting," Daniel finished the sentence tersely. "I'm well aware of that. But you don't have to worry - I'm not going to attack you. In fact, I'll be leaving so you won't have to even think about it anymore." His heart full of pain at ending their friendship, Daniel stormed out.

Flabbergasted, Jack just sat there for a long time and contemplated why his heart felt as though it had just been ripped out...

****

The next day, after avoiding Jack at breakfast, Daniel took Charlie and Anna down to the small dam for a lesson on biology. They had been learning about how animals grew so now they were going to see if they could catch some tadpoles to study.

Daniel loved working with the two children. They were bright and happy, and they listened to him without misbehaving too much. Anna, in particular, he had grown very fond of because she would always give him a hug after class. He would do anything for them, although he always maintained discipline in the classroom. He was going to miss them so much when he left but he couldn't stay and have Jack hate him.

Lots of splashing and laughter abounded at the dam as the three of them tried to catch some tadpoles. After half an hour they had caught three so, wet and happy, they started to make their way back to the house, journeying near the forest that bordered Jack's estate. Daniel was carrying Anna, while Charlie carefully carried the tadpoles in a bucket filled with water.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" a voice came from behind them.

Daniel froze at the sound of the familiar voice. No, it couldn't be!

"Turn around slowly, 'Mummy'," came the mocking command.

Slowly, Daniel did as he was told. Hanson stood in front of him, casually holding a rifle at his side. "What are you doing here?" Daniel accused.

"We're just helping Mrs. O'Neill collect what's rightfully hers," announced a second voice.

Daniel turned his head to see Tommy Davidson walk up to the group while casually holding a rifle. This was going to be very bad, he realised as a chill ran through him. "You can't do that." He thought he had done well avoiding Davidson when he'd travelled into town; he hadn't considered that the man might come looking for him.

"Oh, I think we can, pretty boy," Tommy disagreed. When Hanson had arrived on his doorstep the night before and spun his tale about Sarah wanting the children back, Tommy hadn't hesitated to volunteer his help. He didn't like O'Neill for marrying Sarah, and he just plain didn't like Daniel.

Anna stuck her thumb in her mouth at the sight of the two bad men, and turned to hide her face in Daniel's shoulder while Charlie inched closer to his tutor. "Daniel, what's going on?" the boy asked, scared.

Hanson knelt down in front of Charlie, keeping his rifle lowered as he did so, and answered for Daniel. "We're going to take you to see your mummy." He didn't know the details; all he knew was that Kinsey had volunteered him to retrieve what was rightfully Sarah's.

Charlie looked from one man to the other and decided he didn't like them. He reached up and held onto Daniel's belt. "Why didn't Mama come here?"

"Because she's too sick to travel," Hanson lied easily. "She really wants to see you again."

Neither child trusted the bad man's words. "I want to go home," Anna whispered into Daniel's ear.

"I know," Daniel whispered, rubbing her back with his free hand. "It's going to be okay."

"Aw, isn't that sweet?" Tommy said sarcastically. He walked up behind Daniel and breathed into his other ear. "Enjoying playing mummy, are we? You also got a place in O'Neill's bed?" Tommy was always suspicious about men as pretty as Daniel - and he liked having some 'fun' with them too before beating them up.

"Why don't you slither back under your rock?" Daniel retorted, refraining from using swear words in front of the children. Fingers suddenly gripped his hair tightly and yanked his head backwards.

"I'm gonna teach you to mind your manners," Tommy hissed. Then something hit his shoulder and he moved back to see the girl glaring at him.

"Don't hurt him, you mean man," she scolded. No-one was allowed to hurt her Daniel.

"We don't have time for this," Hanson said, looking around him; he could hear a horse approaching. "Let's go." He gestured with his rifle towards the trees where their own horses were hidden.

Realising they didn't have a choice, Daniel said, "Charlie, put the tadpoles down." He knew Jack would see the jar and know something was wrong.

Obediently, Charlie put the jar on the ground, never letting go of Daniel.

They were herded into the trees. Daniel made his limp more pronounced, dragging his left foot along the ground and leaving a trail for Jack to follow. Then he climbed up onto one horse with Anna. His hands were tied in front of him, and then Hanson climbed on behind him. Davidson climbed onto the other horse with Charlie, and then the group set off as fast as they could.

Not long afterwards, Jack's foreman, Dave Siler, came across the jar of tadpoles. He saw the trail leading away from them and followed it into the trees. When he saw the hoof-prints, he quickly made his way back out and went to alert his boss.

Jack had been paranoid that something like this might happen, and he cursed himself for not protecting them better. There was also the small matter of the way he and Daniel had parted last night. But there was no time for recriminations now; he had to rescue his children and Daniel. Jack figured the children would be safe but knowing how much his wife hated Daniel, the young man could be in serious danger. So after sending one of his men for the local policeman, Jack and Siler set out immediately to find the missing three.

After an hour of hard riding, Hanson called a stop. He got off his horse and then pulled Daniel down. Taking Anna from Daniel's arms, he sat her down on a nearby log with a stern warning to stay put or she would be tied up. Davidson did the same with Charlie, and then went over to help Hanson drag Daniel over to a large tree.

Daniel's glasses were removed and thrown away before he was pinned against the tree. Despite his blurry vision, he could see the lust in Davidson's eyes and the hatred in Hanson's, and fear settled over him again. He was determined not to show it though. "Jack's going to kill you both when he catches up to us."

"So we'll have some fun until he gets here," Hanson said with a smirk. "Then we'll kill you in front of him."

"I want to go first," Tommy stated, a gleam in his eyes. He had waited so long to beat Daniel up again.

"Just don't injure him too badly," Hanson instructed. "I want him conscious when it's my turn." He laughed cruelly as he pressed his forearm against Daniel's throat, briefly cutting off the young man's air supply, and then he walked away. Gathering up the scared children, Hanson then proceeded to take them further into the forest.

"I've been looking forward to this for a long time, pretty boy," Tommy said, his ugly face pressed in close to Daniel's. "You should have stayed a slave but then again, you never did know your place. I'm going to make sure you remember it from now on." His hands tightened around Daniel's biceps.

****

Jack and Siler made very good time, being only ten minutes behind the others. They came upon the small clearing just as Tommy was kneeling over a barely conscious Daniel, preparing to rape him. Daniel's trousers had been partially pulled down, and he was lying on his front. Jack's stomach rolled as he thought of what Davidson might have done, and then he saw red. "Hands up, Davidson!" he yelled, quickly dismounting and aiming his rifle at the man.

A smug grin on his face, Tommy turned to face his enemy. "You know, this fairy of yours doesn't put up much of a fight," he commented.

"Pretty hard when you've got your hands tied together," Jack shot back, seeing the ropes around Daniel's wrists. His heart clenched at the sight of his battered friend lying on the ground; Davidson was so going to pay for that! "Where are my children?" he demanded.

"Safe," Tommy replied, surreptitiously searching for his rifle.

"Bring them here now!" Jack demanded, his finger itching to pull the trigger.

"I can't do that." Tommy saw his rifle nearby and lunged for it. A shot rang out as his fingers closed around it and he lay still, the bullet lodging in his spine.

Jack cautiously went over to check that Davidson was down for the count, and then he knelt down next to Daniel. "Are you okay?" he asked as he undid the ropes, confident that Siler was watching his back. He was so glad that Daniel was alive; anything else didn't matter. He helped Daniel pull up his trousers and then the younger man rolled onto his back.

"He's got the children," Daniel mumbled around a swollen and bleeding lip.

"Who has?" Jack queried.

"I have."

Two shots rang out across the clearing. The first one knocked Siler off his horse, the second caught Jack in the shoulder and sent him to the ground.

Hanson stepped into view, a pistol now pressed against Charlie's temple, using the boy as his hostage. "So I would recommend doing everything I say."

Daniel was now kneeling by Jack's side, their positions reversed. Although his body was aching, and he could only see out of one eye, he stayed upright with both hands pressing on Jack's wounded shoulder to stem the flow of blood. He could see the fear on Charlie's face, and he wondered what Hanson had done with Anna. "Sarah will want her son alive," he said, hoping to ensure Charlie's safety.

"Plans change," Hanson said easily. His hatred for Daniel increased as he observed the younger man trying to stop the bleeding from O'Neill's shoulder. "Now, move the rifle out of O'Neill's reach." He wasn't taking any chances.

Daniel picked the rifle up, an idea forming in his mind. He would only have one chance at this and if he missed, Charlie was dead either by his hand or Hanson's. But if he didn't try, then both he and Jack would die and the children would be taken to their mother. Daniel looked down at Jack. "I'm sorry," he whispered, leaning forward to press his lips to Jack's; he wanted one kiss in case they both died.

"I know," Jack whispered back, seeing the grief and love in those expressive eyes - well, one eye. "I trust you."

Those three words gave Daniel the strength to carry out his plan. Steeling himself for action, he called out, "Charlie!"

"Yeah?"

"Think of what William Tell's son should have done and do it," he instructed, using the story they had discussed only a few days ago to tell Charlie to duck. Then he whipped the rifle up, aimed and fired.

Hansons' belief that Daniel wouldn't use the rifle was his undoing. Despite his rapidly swelling eye, Daniel's aim was spot on and Hanson collapsed, a bullet in his forehead.

Free of his captor, Charlie ran over to his father's side, tears streaming down his face. "Don't die, Da!" he pleaded.

Daniel shakily lowered the rifle and turned his attention towards the boy. "He's going to be fine, Charlie. It's just a shoulder wound."

Charlie nodded, trusting that Daniel wouldn't lie to him. He pressed closer to his father though, scared by everything that had just happened.

Putting the rifle on the ground, Daniel asked Charlie where Anna was. "H-he put her in a tree," the boy replied.

"Okay." Daniel took off his shirt and tore some strips off the bottom. Then he wrapped the rest of the material around Jack's shoulder before holding it in place with the strips. "You press down on that," he instructed Charlie. "I'll go and get Anna."

Charlie did as he was instructed, allowing Daniel to head into the trees. "Anna!" he called out. "Anna!"

A quiet sobbing noise caught his attention and he looked further into the trees. Stuck on a limb at shoulder height was Anna. She had her arms wrapped around the limb and was crying hard although she was trying not to make any noise, frightened that the bad man would hear her.

Daniel went over to her and, every part of him aching, lifted her out of the tree. "It's okay now, the bad men won't hurt you anymore," he soothed as she came willingly into his arms. He wasn't going to think about the fact that he had killed a man until they were home and then he could fall apart. "It's okay."

"I want (hic) to go (hic) home," Anna sobbed, clinging tightly to Daniel.

"I know. We're going home," Daniel promised, starting the trek back to the others. "Everything's going to be okay."

He limped slowly back to the camp, his body aching, to find that Siler was up and moving around. The foreman was lucky that the bullet had only skimmed his arm - the fall from the horse had winded him for a few minutes - so he would be able to ride back to the estate. Daniel took Anna over to Jack, pleased to see that Charlie was still pressing down on the wound. "Good boy," he praised Charlie. "Now, can you look after Anna while I get your Da up onto his horse?"

Charlie nodded and stood up, holding his hand out for Anna after wiping it on his shirt.

Daniel handed Anna over to her brother then crouched down next to Jack. "How are you doing?"

"Just swell," Jack replied, wanting to reassure Daniel and the children. He reached for and grabbed Daniel's hand. "You did a good job." He was extremely proud of Daniel for shooting Hanson so accurately and for saving his children. His hand moved up to cup one smooth cheek.

"Thank you." Daniel gave Jack a wan smile; he had just done what he had to do to save the children. "Can you stand up?"

"Sure." Jack accepted Daniel's help in standing. He swayed a little at first but then steadied himself. "See?" Then he spied his children standing nearby. "Hey, come here."

They ran over to their father and hugged one leg each. "Are you okay, Da?" Anna asked, a tremble in her voice.

"I'm going to be fine, princess," Jack assured her. He rested his good hand on her head. "We all will be."

"They were bad men, Da," Anna continued, tears in her eyes.

"Very bad," Jack agreed. "But they won't hurt you ever again," he promised, looking at the still bodies littering the clearing. "Now let's go home."

Siler came up to his boss. "With your permission, sir, I'll go first and escort the policeman here." The police force was in its infancy so there was presently only one man assigned to the district at the time.

"You alright to ride?" Jack queried, seeing the red patch on Siler's shoulder.

"Yes, sir." Siler mounted his horse and rode away at a gallop.

"Daniel, gather up all the rifles." Jack didn't want to take the chance that Davidson wasn't going to wake up before anyone could get back and shoot them or himself.

The younger man did just that and tied them to one of the saddles. Then he helped Jack get on his horse before handing Charlie up to sit in front; the boy would be able to hold the reins. Daniel then put Anna up on another horse, gathered the reins of the third horse, and then got up behind the little girl.

It was a slow trip back. When Daniel saw Jack start to close his eyes, he began to talk, trying to keep his friend awake. Charlie and Anna took the hint, carrying on a loud conversation so that their father didn't fall asleep.

Siler, the policeman, and several of Jack's employees passed them on the way back. When they exited the forest, there were two men waiting with a buggy. Although he protested that he was fine, Jack eventually got into the buggy, as did Daniel and the children.

It was dark by the time they all reached the house. Jack was escorted into his bedroom where the doctor was waiting for him. Daniel took the children into the kitchen where they all managed to eat some soup. Then the children had a bath - 'to wash away the bad men', Anna said. After that, while they were waiting for the doctor to come back and give them news, Anna fell asleep in Daniel's arms, thoroughly exhausted. Charlie fought the tiredness though, determined to make sure his Da was really okay.

Finally the doctor came out and told them that he had removed the bullet and that Jack would be just fine. Daniel took the children in to see Jack and left them all sleeping in the same bed, unable to resist the children's pleas. He went to the living room where the doctor gave him the once over and then told him to put a cold compress on his swollen eye. Daniel retrieved one from the kitchen and then went back to his bedroom where he curled up into a tight ball and cried himself to sleep thinking about how close he had come to losing his family.

****

Jack woke just as the sun was creeping over the horizon. His shoulder was aching and his head was fuzzy, one causing the lack of sleep and the other the result. And there was something warm against his side. He turned his head - carefully, as his neck was stiff from lying on his back all night - and saw a small blonde head on his good shoulder. It seemed that Anna had curled up next to him, with Charlie right behind her. They had stayed with him all night.

His children. Jack's breath caught as he looked at the two little people he loved more than anything else in the world. He had almost lost them yesterday and he silently sent a prayer of thanks that he hadn't. If Daniel hadn't been there with them...

Daniel. Jack couldn't believe what had been revealed about his friend in the past couple of days. First, he had discovered that Daniel actually wanted him as more than just a friend, and then he had seen the younger man kill a man while basically half-blind. Daniel could so easily have missed, could have hit Charlie instead, but he hadn't. And Jack had trusted him to do it, had trusted that he could make the shot. Jack didn't know whether he himself could have pulled off the same shot. Had it been luck or sheer determination to protect his family?

That word got Jack thinking again on his original track. He still had his family. And he still had Daniel. Beaten and bruised, Daniel had seen better days but Jack had simply been glad to see him alive. He now acknowledged how devastated he would have been had Daniel died but it was more than simply loving a friend. Despite his reaction to Daniel wanting him, Jack realised that he wanted Daniel; that was what the dreams had been trying to tell him. He had been heart-sore yesterday when he thought Daniel was going to leave, much more than he should have been for a mere friend.

Jack wanted Daniel to stay forever.

Could he ask Daniel to do that? Would Daniel want to do that? After the way things had ended the other night, the younger man might not, although the kiss Daniel had given him... Something stirred deep in his groin at the thought of Daniel's soft lips against his. Somehow, he had never imagined that another man's lips could be so soft. Maybe he should verify the fact, just in case he had remembered wrong...

The thought didn't fill him with disgust like it should have. In fact, he felt as if something had just fallen into the right place. He and Daniel had always been friends despite the age difference and differing backgrounds - it was such a strong bond that perhaps it wasn't surprising that the nature of it had changed this way. He needed to find out exactly how Daniel felt though, and whether he could pursue any sort of physical relationship.

"Da?" Charlie's sleepy voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah?" Jack's voice sounded raspy so he cleared his throat.

Charlie sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Do you still hurt?"

"A little," Jack replied. There was an ache in his shoulder where the bullet had entered. "But it will soon go away. Charlie, can you go and check on Daniel?"

"'Cos he got hurt too?" Charlie asked.

Jack nodded carefully. "Exactly. Tell him I want to talk to him."

Charlie looked nervously at the door; he didn't want to leave his father. Jack saw this and said, "Come here." When Charlie was close enough, Jack kissed his cheek. "For protection," he stated.

With a child's faith, Charlie got off the bed and ran out of the door, eager to see Daniel. Jack smiled at his son's behaviour, then turned his attention to the little girl at his side.

****

Daniel awoke to the feeling that there was someone else in the room. He opened his good eye and saw Charlie staring at him not two inches away from his face. "Hey," he croaked.

"Your face looks bad," Charlie commented with the typical bluntness of a child.

"Thanks," Daniel said dryly. He rolled carefully onto his back, his whole body stiff and sore this morning. "Ouch."

"Can you get up? Da wants to see you."

Daniel groaned at the thought. "Just give me a minute." He could get up, sure he could. He just hoped that when he got to Jack that his friend wasn't going to be angry with him about the kiss. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that they were still alive, maybe it hadn't been.

Charlie nodded. He sat back and waited impatiently. "Did they hurt you bad?"

"Pretty bad, yes," Daniel admitted. He gingerly felt his lip; yes, eating was going to be difficult again today.

"Why did you kiss Da yesterday?" Charlie asked curiously.

"Uh--" That wasn't a question Daniel had been expecting.

"Do you like Da?"

"Er, yes." Daniel found that he couldn't lie.

Again Charlie nodded. Then he leaned over and kissed Daniel's cheek. "I like you. Do you like me?"

"Very much," Daniel replied. "I like all of you very much." He was relieved that Charlie hadn't realised just what he felt for Jack.

"Good. Now come on!" Charlie urged.

Stifling another groan, Daniel slowly stood up and followed Charlie down to the main bedroom. When he entered the room, he found Jack wide awake with Anna chatting away beside him. "Morning."

"Morning, Daniel," Jack greeted him. "Come, sit down." He gestured to the bed, next to him.

Daniel carefully sat down, very aware of Jack's bare chest. Therefore he kept his eyes fixed downwards. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," Jack replied. He looked Daniel over. The younger man's black, swollen eye was spectacular, and Jack suspected that there were similar bruises all over Daniel's body. Turning to his son, he said, "Charlie, how about you take Anna to the kitchen and organise some breakfast for us all?"

Charlie shook his head. "I don't wanna." He didn't want to leave his father again.

"What if I give you another kiss for protection?" Jack suggested, knowing it had worked well last time. His two children clambered up beside him to receive their kisses and then they raced off to the kitchen.

"You're so good with them," Daniel commented, smiling at how much faith they had in Jack.

"So are you," Jack replied, taking Daniel's hand in his. "I've seen you with them. And they adore you."

Daniel flushed with embarrassment, partly because of the compliment and partly because Jack was holding his hand. "I adore them."

"And me?" Jack asked tentatively, bringing Daniel's fingers to his lips. The fingers were dirty and scratched but Jack kissed them anyway.

Daniel felt a jolt in his groin. "And you," he agreed hoarsely. "Jack--"

"Shhh." Jack felt that stirring inside him again. "You do realise that it's not usual for men to be together or love each other?"

"Kind of." Daniel turned his head away, steeling his heart for the rejection to come.

"Do you love me, Danny? As more than just a friend?"

Daniel bit his lip and winced at the pain. "Yes," he admitted. "I think so."

Impulsively, Jack reached up with his good arm and hooked his hand behind Daniel's neck. Then he drew Daniel down for a kiss.

It was much better than the fleeting kiss they had shared in the forest. Daniel felt so awkward, not knowing what to do, but at the same time he felt wonderful. He felt like he had been waiting his whole life for this.

When Daniel shifted uncomfortably, Jack let him draw back a fraction. He looked into Daniel's eyes and noted the dilated pupils; he imagined his eyes were the same. Not that they could take this any further while they were both injured. "How about now?"

Daniel tried to smile but winced when it pulled his swollen lip. "Do you love me?" he asked, deflecting the question.

"It definitely seems that I do," Jack stated. "I've always loved you as a friend... now it's more." Being terrified of losing Daniel had opened his eyes to that, as had that kiss.

"You said this wasn't usual." Daniel was a little confused. Jack had been disgusted the other night.

"It's not." But Jack was - now - open-minded enough to accept that it had happened.

"Men don't love men."

"Not usually, no."

"So why aren't you disgusted or something?"

"Because it's you," Jack gave the only explanation he could.

Daniel frowned, trying to process that. "You don't think of me as a man?"

"No. I think of you as my best friend, as Daniel. Gender doesn't come into it." In fact, he had never really taken that into account. Daniel was simply... Daniel.

Daniel wasn't sure whether that was a compliment or not. "I have no experience whatsoever," he stated, repeating his statement from a few weeks ago.

"I know, you've mentioned it before," Jack pointed out. With his good arm, he reached out and caressed Daniel's stubble-covered and swollen cheek. He liked the fact that he would be the one to teach Daniel about love. It felt... right. "It doesn't matter."

"What will people say?" Daniel was concerned that people might try to harm Jack or the children because of him.

Jack let his hand drop down to the bed. "They won't say anything. No-one will know." A relationship like theirs could only be conducted behind closed doors.

"No-one?" Daniel ducked his head in shame; Jack didn't want anyone to know about them.

"Most people wouldn't understand," Jack explained. He wanted to protect Daniel from those kind of people.

"I don't understand," Daniel muttered, not quite telling the truth. He and Jack were from two different classes, which would add to the scandal if known.

Jack wasn't good at talking about his emotions but he gave it a shot for Daniel's sake. "We love each other, Daniel, that's always been unspoken but true. And while we are simply friends, people accept that. But anything else, they think is wrong."

"Isn't it?"

"No," Jack replied simply. He took Daniel's hand again and squeezed tightly. "It's not." He couldn't think of anything more right.

Daniel flushed at the unspoken compliment. Jack loved him and didn't think it was wrong. There was still one more thing though. "How will we avoid telling the children? If I sleep in your bed, or you in mine, they're bound to notice eventually."

That was something that Jack hadn't considered. Occasionally his children would come to his bedroom during the night if they were scared or couldn't sleep. "We'll work something out," he said confidently.

Footsteps running down the hallway alerted them to said children. Daniel quickly stood up, wincing in pain, and then moved away from the bed as Charlie and Anna ran into the room. "Breakfast's coming!" Charlie announced before he crawled up beside his Da.

"We helped," Anna informed them as she did likewise.

"Daniel, come and sit here," Charlie ordered. "There's plenty of room."

Daniel slowly obeyed after giving Jack a sideways glance. As soon as he was settled, Anna crawled onto his lap and reached up to pat his cheek. "Does it hurt?" she inquired, surveying his battered face.

"Only a little," he assured her. "Are you okay?"

Anna nodded solemnly and stuck her thumb in her mouth. Everything was okay with her world again but she was still a little frightened because her father and Daniel were both hurt. Only one more thing was missing. "I want Mama."

Jack grimaced. The policeman had dropped by last night to tell him that Davidson had made a full confession just before he died that implicated Sarah in the plot. "I'm afraid that Mama's done something very bad and she might have to go away for a long time," he stated. For this, Sarah could even be transported to Australia, the land where convicts were sent.

"What did she do?" Charlie asked.

"I'll explain when you're older," Jack said. Even though he didn't like Sarah, he wasn't going to blacken her name with the children. "But she still loves you very much even though she won't be able to be here with you."

The children accepted this quietly, and Anna snuggled further into Daniel's arms. The four of them sat silently until breakfast arrived.

In fact, everyone was subdued all day. Daniel went off to the study, taking the children with him for a while to give Jack some time to rest. But everyone ended up back in the bedroom for lunch; they didn't want to be parted for too long.

****

In the days that followed, Jack and Daniel slowly recovered from their injuries while the children became more reassured that their world was returning to normal. Daniel slept in his own room as the children stayed with Jack, but he and Jack were able to steal kisses during the day, building up the anticipation of what was to come.

Word was received a week after the incident that Sarah had been arrested on the charge of conspiracy to kidnap and murder. The men had to attend the trial a few weeks after that to give evidence. Sarah pleaded not guilty, and even went so far as to accuse her godfather, Kinsey, of masterminding the kidnapping, and that she had gone along with it because she feared him. Kinsey, however, couldn't be found to refute the allegations - he had disappeared soon after Sarah made her accusations, going into hiding since his good nam