Author's notes: Thanks for such encouraging reviews for part 1. I hope this second, schmoopy chapter doesn't disappoint. Thanks to Katt for the beta and once again for the push for me to finish this thing ;).
Wordcount: approx.: 5,000 of 11,000


Part 2

Home.

Adam couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so relieved to be pulling into the long drive that led to their old farmhouse. The trip home with Daniel had been even more miserable than the ride up to Davis, and he couldn't get back here fast enough.

Literally.

Deciding to stop in Sacramento to grab a bite to eat had been a terrible idea. Though he knew a trip to McDonald's wasn't going to mend Daniel's broken heart, Adam had hoped treating him to a burger and fries would've lifted the kid's spirits some. It might be far from fine dining but, for the McFadden boys, a Big Mac and a milkshake were a rare and welcome change to their regular fare.

The kid might as well have been eating cardboard the way he'd barely touched the meal.

Adam had tried to get Daniel to talk to him but had been met with sullenness or sorrow. And mostly silence. He'd made the boy sit in the restaurant with him while he'd choked down his own suddenly tasteless meal and drank a cup of coffee. He shouldn't have felt so tired but the emotions of the day had drained him and he'd still had the better part of a two hour drive ahead of him.

Make that three hours.

Had it been a weekday, he might have expected the traffic jam. They would have been driving during rush hour, after all. But it was the weekend, for Pete's sake. After leaving McDonald's it had been a bumper to bumper crawl for damn near forty-five minutes before he'd even caught up to the accident that had snarled up traffic for miles. Thankfully, for those involved, it hadn't looked all that serious. Still, it had taken another fifteen minutes just to get past the wrecks and emergency vehicles clogging up two lanes before traffic had started moving again. And by then it had already been pushing eight o'clock.

It was beyond Adam's comprehension that a million people actually chose to live there.

Inching along like that had done little to improve Daniel's frame of mind. Or Adam's for that matter. Adam had snapped in response more than once when his attempts to engage in a little conversation had been met with petulance. Adam wasn't proud of himself for losing his cool like that but at least he'd had enough sense not to let things escalate, ultimately turning on the radio and letting it fill up the silence between them.

It hadn't taken long for the music and darkness to lull Daniel to sleep and he'd remained oblivious, thankfully, for the rest of the trip. Not even noticing when Adam had eased him down against his side, pulling out the blanket stuffed behind the seat and draping it over him.

Knowing their bumpy gravel drive would jar the boy awake eventually, Adam shifted his hand from where it had been resting on Daniel's shoulder and lightly carded it through his soft hair.

"Danny, wake up," He said softly, not wanting to startle him. "We're almost home."

The kid mumbled something incomprehensible before slowly straightening, apparently still too out of it to be embarrassed that he'd been asleep huddled up against his big brother. "Home?" he finally uttered, blinking owlishly.

"Just about," Adam responded lightly, dividing his attention between the sluggish kid beside him and the potholes in front. He only caught a glimpse of it in the artificial glow from the truck's dash but, Adam felt his stomach drop anyway when he witnessed the harsh reality of awareness fully return.

The moment Daniel remembered that they'd left his best friend and confidant behind.

The poor kid looked positively crushed.

Again, damn it.

By the time Adam pulled in front of the house, Daniel didn't wait for him to shut off the ignition before getting out of the truck and heading through their gate. From what Adam could see as he climbed out too and looked across its hood, the only thing stopping the boy from barging through their front door was Brian's solid presence standing there in front of it.

Adam caught up to them at the top of the porch, listening as Brian, his hands resting lightly on Daniel's shoulders, told Daniel there was vegetable stew waiting for him in the crock pot if he wanted any.

"'m not hungry," Daniel answered morosely and Brian's eyebrow lifted in surprise.

"What? You're not getting sick, are you?" Brian replied, mostly kidding though not entirely. Adam couldn't help but smirk as he watched their resident tough-guy gently check Daniel's forehead and cheeks for any signs of fever.

As Daniel roughly pulled away, Brian's eyes darted to their eldest and at first Adam just shrugged his shoulders. But, knowing Daniel's current mood would neither tolerate Brian's concern nor his sense of humor, he decided to give Daniel an out. "We stopped for a bite on the way." Literally, Adam thought, remembering the scarcely touched burger they'd tossed in the trash.

"Can we go in now or are you waiting for a password?" Daniel asked; the irritation plain in his voice.

Though Adam bristled at the insolence, Brian grinned lopsidedly and opened the door. Waving them through with an exaggerated flourish, he told them, "I sent the boys upstairs about twenty minutes ago," then added, "Guthrie's in with Ford."

"Good," Adam replied a little absently as he looked around their too empty living-room. He knew their youngest would sleep better tonight in the company of Ford and Evan.

He was a little surprised that the boys hadn't waited up to hear how the move went, especially with it being Saturday. But, on closer inspection of Brian's strained features, he realized they were all pretty drained from Crane's departure. Unconsciousness sounded like one hell of a good idea.

Even though he'd gotten some rest in the truck, Adam figured no one more than Daniel could use the respite of sleep. And the solace of his bedroom. Turning to Daniel as the kid shucked off his jean jacket and tossed it on the back of the couch, he softly suggested, "Why don't you head on up too?"

"And why don't you mind your own damn business; I'm old enough to know when it's time for bed!"

"What did you just say?" After putting up with Daniel's moodiness all day, the kid had finally breached Adam's limits. Despite the fact that their sullen teenager was rounding the bottom of the stairs and heading up them anyway, it was time to call him on his impudence.

Except Adam didn't get the chance. In an instant, Brian had snagged Daniel and roughly hauled him back down the stairs.

And he didn't stop hauling until he'd jerked Daniel into his chest, forcing him to rebound against it. Giving the startled kid a shake, Brian practically growled, "Now, that was completely uncalled for, young man. What makes you think you can disrespect Adam like that?"

Neither Adam nor Brian were above the use of corporal punishment. With seven sons to keep in line, it had certainly worked for their father. Though just as with Adam, Sr., it had typically consisted of only a swat on their behinds when either older brother had deemed it necessary. But that was when each of the boys had been much younger, before they'd grown out of the need for it. Not when they were teens.

Though he hadn't hurt Daniel at all, Brian being this rough with any of the boys was definitely out of character. Which told Adam a couple of things... That, one, Brian was feeling the weight of Crane's departure like the rest of them and, two, he'd likely already had his fill of teenage petulance tonight, courtesy of Evan.

And even though Adam had wanted to throttle Daniel just as much a moment ago, he sure didn't like the look of fear radiating from those expressive eyes right now.

"Let him go, Brian," Adam ordered, his protective hackles rising.

Brian abruptly did so, looking a little shocked himself. Cursing silently, he reached for Daniel again. This time straightening Daniel's collar then patting the kid's cheek lightly. "You okay, Dan'l?"

Daniel didn't meet his eyes, shrugging his shoulders instead. Darting his eyes toward Adam instead, he timidly asked, "Can I please go up now?"

"Yeah," Adam allowed but, despite there no longer being any shred of insolence left in Daniel's tone, he changed his mind and reached for Daniel's arm. Careful not to manhandle him too, Adam added seriously. "But that was your last freebie, all right? I want to see a change in attitude come morning or else I start doling out punishment. You hear me?"

When welling eyes met his own, Adam immediately regretted the threat. He knew how badly Daniel was hurting. Still, he'd learned in these last five years that parenting sometimes meant being hard on the boys even when all he wanted to do was hold them.

Daniel's, "'kay," came out so hitched and so small that Adam could've cried too.

Yeah, sometimes parenting pretty much sucked.


"Hey, I know I crossed the line there but you still shouldn't've let him get away with that," Brian said disapprovingly as Adam pulled his own jacket off and draped it over top of Daniel's. They were both watching as Daniel's retreating form made the turn at the top of the landing. Adam sighed heavily.

"Yeah, well… it's not entirely his fault," Adam replied, feeling both the guilt and frustration of the day bubbling in his gut. Once Daniel had fallen asleep during the ride home, Adam'd had plenty of time to think about things. Things like his failure to notice that Daniel's dependency on Crane had grown beyond that of typical siblings. That despite only a three-year age gap, Crane had become as much parent to Daniel as Adam and Brian were.

Brian snorted in disbelief but sobered quickly. Likely thanks to the defeated expression Adam knew he was wearing. "Then whose fault is it?" Brian asked incredulously, his raised eyebrow demanding as much of a response as his words.

Mine, Adam wanted to say. But he didn't. Couldn't. How could he possibly explain that by sending Crane off to school, Adam had somehow messed with the natural order of things? And that Crane going to Davis was tantamount to Daniel losing yet another parent.

No, Adam wasn't going to share any of those thoughts with Brian. Hell, it's not like they were going to drive back up there and bring Crane home anyway. It wouldn't be right or the answer but, knowing Brian, it would be exactly what he'd want to do. Because Brian couldn't stand to see any of the boys hurting.

And once Brian understood the root of the problem, he'd be sure to take on some of the blame too. And that just wouldn't be fair.

This was all Adam's doing.

So instead Adam used the mantra their absent and most patient brother had been spouting this past year. He even tried to mimic Crane's voice a little as he answered Brian with, "It's those raging hormones talking; we can't take it personally."

Brian smirked at that, the sound of the toilet flushing upstairs quirking his lips even further. Apparently the subject of their discussion had yet to crawl off to bed.

Brian shook his head then, resting his hands on his hips before blowing out a long breath. Though there was still a hint of humor in his face, Adam still braced himself for whatever news his brother had yet to tell him.

"Yeah, well I hate to break it to you, partner but God help us I think Ford might be about to join the hormone brigade too."

Adam's heart sunk at that. Hell, it couldn't be, could it? Ford was only eleven for crying out loud. "Why? What happened?" he damn near groaned. He really didn't want to know.

Brian must've seen the dread on Adam's face because he lightly clapped Adam's belly before responding. "Oh, you know… same ole, same ole," he answered, resignation plain in his tone. "He and Evan just wouldn't quit goin' at each other all night. I ended up tossing Evan in Crane's bed for fear poor Guthrie'd get caught in their crossfire."

For a brief instant, maybe just a millisecond, Adam thought that Brian's solution had been a good one. But before he could even put voice to his approval, his gut blindsided him with another thought entirely. That Evan being in Crane's bed when Daniel walked into that room would end up being all kinds of wrong.

"Shit, Brian—"

Despite knowing the reprimand had been un-called for, Adam didn't have time to regret it, let alone apologize to Brian. His feet racing up the stairs two at a time even before he heard the shouts and crashes coming from Daniel's room.


Brian was right on Adam's heels as they barreled into Daniel's room. Adam absently noting Ford and Guthrie in his periphery, undoubtedly awake now thanks to the war going on across the hall.

"Go back to your room and close the door!" Adam heard Brian order their two youngest. Despite Guthrie's cries and Ford's protests, Adam's focus – what little he could manage in the dark – trained on the two muted forms rolling around on the floor between the two beds.

"Get off 'a me!" Evan shouted as Adam blindly reached for and missed the nearest thrashing body.

Light suddenly flared overhead and Adam could now see the combatants. His little brothers giving it their pintsized but formidable all. Usually evenly matched in size and grit, Evan was at a distinct disadvantage this time, fighting both the brother on top of him and the bedclothes still encumbering his legs. The kid was already sporting a bloody lip.

"Get out of here; get out!" Daniel screamed. His words as irrational as his behavior as he shook two fistfuls of blanket-wrapped brother in his grip. The irony was that Evan couldn't go anywhere if he wanted to. He was surrounded on three sides by furniture but, more significantly, by his main impediment… the kid frantically yelling at him to leave.

"I can't, you moron," Evan furiously ground out before heaving his blanket-laden legs upward and successfully throwing Daniel off-balance and forcing him to let go.

Not surprisingly, the move enraged Daniel even further and he actually snarled before diving back on top of his brother.

Or rather, he tried to.

Before Daniel could reach Evan again, Adam swooped in and grabbed the boy from behind, successfully trapping his arms and giving Brian the opportunity to rescue Evan.

"All right, that's enough from you!" Adam outright bellowed at the wildly thrashing kid in his hold. For a boy who hadn't yet tipped the scales at a hundred pounds, their middle brother was damn strong. And he had an awfully hard head as Adam soon found out too when Daniel clocked Adam with it under the chin. Whether Daniel had done it intentionally or accidentally as a result of his struggles, Adam didn't know. And didn't care. In the instant of that bone-jarring impact, Adam saw stars.

And then he saw red.

"I said that's enough!" Adam roared, not even aware he'd thrown Daniel onto Crane's bed until he heard the thump of Daniel hitting the wall. And saw the stunned expression on his little brother's rapidly blanching face.

"Daniel!" Brian cried out, the shock of that moment apparently stripping the use of Daniel's nickname from is vocabulary. "Stay there," he needlessly ordered a horrified looking Evan as he scrambled onto the bed. "You all right, sport?" he asked roughly, running his hands over Daniel's head and all through his shaggy hair.

And Adam numbly followed, shame filling his heart and concern overwhelming him as he watched his second in command tend to their younger sibling.

Red-rimmed eyes briefly flickered toward Adam but Daniel immediately looked away, meeting Brian's concerned gaze instead. "I'm okay," the boy said meekly, his rage absent entirely. "Just hit my shoulder," he added and Adam breathed a prayer of relief and gratitude as he watched Brian tenderly rub the shoulder in question.

"You sure, kiddo?" Adam choked out past the guilt residing in his throat, heartened when his little brother met his gaze this time.

Until Daniel abruptly shook his head and those expressive eyes spilled over.

Adam felt his stomach lurch for an instant, afraid that his rash actions had hurt Daniel. But as Daniel launched himself at Adam and crumpled in his arms like he hadn't done in years, he realized that Daniel's wound lay much deeper than his bruised shoulder. And would take much longer to heal.

Wrapping his arms around Daniel, Adam didn't think his heart could break more. Until those gulping breaths hitched out, "Why does everybody leave me?" The truth behind that soul-shredding plea damn near shattered Adam too and all he could do was hold on tighter. His own eyes welling as Daniel clung to him and Brian rubbed their devastated little brother's quaking back.

"Daniel?" Evan softly called to him and Adam abruptly realized he'd had his eyes closed tight against his own tears, opening them to see a concerned Evan, eyes teeming now too, kneeling next to the bed.

Adam watched with approval as their thirteen year-old trailed his hand across the bed, reaching for Daniel who lifted his head slightly in acknowledgment and grasped Evan's hand in return.

"Crane's coming back. You'll see," Evan said confidently though with a tremble of emotion. There was no hint of animosity in his face, only concern. And Adam couldn't have felt more proud. Evan had shown more forgiveness and more insight in that moment than Adam would ever have expected of their rodeo-obsessed, hot-tempered junior cowboy.

Though Evan's words were meant to comfort, Daniel's sobs started again in earnest and Adam met Brian's worried gaze. Tilting his head to indicate Evan, Adam whispered, "I've got this," and Brian nodded his understanding.

Straightening off of the bed and moving more slowly than any 21 year-old ever should, Brian wrapped a gentle hand around Evan's shoulders and helped him upright. "Come on… let's get you cleaned up and check on the squirts."

Evan looked torn but, when Adam nodded his assent, the boy reluctantly followed Brian out of the room. His distraught, "Is Daniel gonna be okay?" penetrating through the door Brian closed behind them.


"Evan's right, you know," Adam said softly into Daniel's hair as the boy's tears began to subside. "Crane's gonna come home."

Adam wouldn't have believed it possible but, once Evan and Brian had left the room, Daniel's tears had flowed harder. Guilt over the fight with Evan jumbled up with his grief over Crane leaving and their parents' deaths all had made him nearly inconsolable. Daniel's sobs so intense, Adam had actually worried that he wasn't getting enough oxygen.

He'd had a sinking feeling that meeting the Corbetts, especially gentle Anne, would open up Daniel's already straining floodgates. Damn, Adam hated being right about that.

One of the many lessons he'd learned though after the tragedy of their parents' accident had been that eventually the body would give out long before the grief ever did. Tonight certainly hadn't been the first time in the last five years he'd held one of his little brothers until they'd cried themselves out. Though selfishly he hoped it would be the last.

God, it killed him to see any of them hurting this bad.

Though he'd always felt utterly helpless when one of the boys fell apart like this; that never stopped him from at least trying to comfort them through their grief. And so just like those too many other times, Adam had settled in to wait. Gently sliding Daniel along with him atop Crane's bed until he was settled against the headboard, Daniel cradled tight against his chest.

Murmuring his love and devotion into the boy's ear and uttering platitudes and nonsense.

To a still devastated orphan who'd just lost his best-friend and closest lifeline too.

Except in truth Daniel hadn't. Crane was coming back. And given tonight's events and contrary to his previous insistence, Adam would make damn sure Crane was on the bus home for a visit long before Thanksgiving rolled around. Hell, he knew full well that was Crane's preference anyway. Adam should've known better than to think keeping Crane apart from the family would do any of them a lick of good.

Carding his hand through the hair falling against the nape of Daniel's neck, Adam told his little brother just that, wanting to assure him, "Crane's gonna be home for a visit before you know it, Danny. We'll get him home before Thanksgiving, okay?"

A sniff and a nod against Adam's chest were Daniel's only response.

"And he'll graduate and be back for good in no time," Adam insisted, knowing that Daniel needed to hear those words more than he did the certainty of an upcoming weekend visit.

"But what if he doesn't want to?" Daniel asked this time, or rather mumbled into Adam's shirt. Damn, he sounded so young and still full of uncertainty. The kid was just borrowing trouble now though, like he was trying to make himself more miserable.

"Of course he'll want to come home," Adam replied patiently, trying not to sound patronizing.

"But what if he doesn't?" Daniel repeated, raising himself up this time to face Adam. Anger and insistence in his voice despite its squeaky adolescent tone.

The hurt and fear in his dark eyes betrayed his deepest feelings though. Now, where on earth was this coming from? Straightening up against the headboard, Adam gripped Daniel's arms and held him away, needing to better read Daniel's face and so that Daniel could do the same. "Just where in the hell would you get the idea that Crane wouldn't want to come home?"

A rush of tears filled Daniel's eyes again and his face began to crumple but, when Adam squeezed his arms, the boy regained control. He still looked damn despondent though. "Because nobody comes back once they go away."

"What?"

Adam needn't have asked. Daniel was on a roll.

"Not Mike, or Hoops, or PJ," Daniel asserted, the truth in his words making Adam wince. Picking up steam, Daniel rhymed off a number of Brian's old classmates as well. Shit, it looked like the kid had been keeping a scorecard he'd started long before Crane's college education had even become a certainty.

The more names Daniel recited, the more upset he became. And Adam was starting to feel pretty darn awful too. Murphys was a small community and Daniel's listing provided a stark reminder of just how many of its younger members had indeed moved on.

Some of them had gone off and started exciting new careers. A few had joined the military. Others had simply left to find themselves. And many had sought out the bright lights of big cities, desperate just to get out of boring old Dodge. Not unlike Adam had wanted, before a transport truck had wiped out their parents' lives and Adam's plans.

But had also shown Adam what was truly, fiercely important.

Family. And that family's legacy.

A lesson Crane had learned too and had bought into; wholly and completely. If only Adam could convince Daniel of that.

Reeling Daniel in until the kid was settled under his arm, Adam spoke tenderly but with certainty. "Aw, kiddo, I know it might look like everybody leaves, but that's not always the case." His mind was racing, trying to think of someone, anyone from their generation, who'd come home. Remembering one, Adam practically crowed, "What about Dave Schiller? He's back from law school, right?" Adam's triumph didn't last long though as he failed to come up with anyone else. He was scrambling now, desperate to maintain the spark of hope Dave's name had ignited in Daniel's eyes.

Finding himself at a loss, Adam could only speak from his heart. And with the knowledge and faith he had in the McFaddens' third born. "Besides, of all those people who left… none of them already had a place of their own like us, right? How many of them had a deed with their names on it when they turned eighteen, huh?"

"Nobody?" Daniel answered hesitantly.

"Nobody," Adam repeated but with a lot more certainty.

He was getting through to Daniel, the veil of grief lifting from his features, his tears beginning to dissipate. Adam could see the remnants of doubt though and fervently wanted to erase them. "Danny, you gotta believe me… Crane wants this place to grow and thrive damn near as much as he wants you to." That earned Adam a soft snort. He was aiming for a smile though so he continued. "He's gonna come home, kiddo. For good."

"You sure?"

"I can do you one better… I promise." Adam said. And he meant it too.

There; Adam got his smile. It wasn't one of the kid's beaming ones that Adam found so utterly contagious. But he'd take what he could get.

With Daniel somewhat appeased, Adam figured he'd slide out from under him and let the kid settle there in Crane's bed. He knew it was where the boy had hoped to find solace when he'd first come up here. Before discovering Evan innocently intruding instead. But, as Daniel rested his head against Adam's shoulder, he realized his little brother had other plans.

And big brother was okay with that.

"Adam?" Daniel whispered after a while, a bit of a surprise since Adam had assumed the kid had fallen asleep against him.

"Yeah, Danny-boy?"

"Tell Evan I'll do his chores for him this month, okay?"

Despite the renewed tears stinging his eyes, Adam couldn't help but smile. Apparently Daniel was doling out his own punishment for going after Evan. Unfortunately Adam knew which role model their middle brother had gotten his temper from and that realization sent a shudder down his spine. It didn't matter that the kid had head-butted him, or that Adam had reacted on reflex, the thud he'd heard after he'd flung Daniel into the wall tonight could've signified something so much worse than a sore shoulder.

Some example he was setting.

Lightly rubbing that shoulder, Adam answered Daniel, contrition written all over his face. "Tell you what… Let's make it two weeks but I'll be doing yours then too, okay?"

Daniel looked a little bewildered at first but understanding must've dawned when he faintly answered, "Okay; sure."

"Good," Adam said fondly as he pulled Daniel in for another hug. He didn't intend on letting go until Daniel made the first move.

Which didn't appear to be happening any time soon.

It didn't take long for Adam to feel the weight of Daniel as he sank deeper into his side. Since it looked like he was going to be staying for the long haul, Adam blindly reached for Crane's pillow. Awkwardly shoving it in behind his own neck, Adam let himself doze.

He didn't think he'd been out long when a slight knock against wood awakened him, immediately followed by the door opening revealing four brothers standing in the doorway. Make that three. A sleeping Guthrie was on Brian's hip and in his arms, his head resting on Brian's shoulder, long, skinny legs dangling down past Brian's knees.

"Mind if we join you?" Brian asked dryly.

Not waiting for Adam's reply, Evan and Ford quietly slid on past, each with a sleeping bag in tow. And Adam felt a lump in his throat swell even as he wanted to laugh at his younger brothers' actions.

"Be my guest," he answered warmly while Ford and Evan situated themselves on the floor between the two beds. Brian flicked off the light then and Adam watched in the moonlight as Brian settled Guthrie into Daniel's bed and climbed in under the covers beside him.

The sight warmed Adam's heart and he knew, when Daniel awoke, the boy would be heartened by it too. Though the absence of Crane in the midst of their impromptu sleepover would still hurt.

Adam knew it because he was feeling that absence now. And it really did hurt.

So, maybe when Crane called this week Adam would tell him to come home next weekend. Maybe easing into the separation would be a better idea.

And maybe then they'd all camp out in the living-room. There was plenty of room for all of them down there.

-Fin-