A/N: This chapter was originally going to cover 2 Sam 1, but I've found it necessary to go back a bit and add some parts to cover what happens after David and Jonathan said good-bye in the last chapter. Now, this chapter will cover 1 Sam. 27, 29, and 31 along with 2 Sam. 1.

"We're going to war-get ready," Saul said tersely, as Jonathan stood before his throne.

Jonathan bowed to the king. "Certainly," he replied.

War was hardly a new thing-his father relished the battlefield. Of course, that was when David was winning his battles for him. But since his father had tried for over a year to kill David, Jonathan wondered how the battle might go now that his best friend wasn't there to help. He'd heard that David had fled to the land of their traditional enemies, the Philistines. He hoped that his friend had found peace there, and he prayed every day for his safety.

He asked, "May I ask who we're going up against this time?" The answer sent a chill up his spine.

"The Philistines."

Jonathan's startled expression made his father sneer. "What?" Saul mocked his son, "Has worrying about your little whelp made you soft?"

He continued to taunt, "I've know that David has been with the Philistines for over a year, but I didn't pursued him because I was hoping that the Philistines would take care of him. Of course, David seduced them just like he did you and they've let him run around doing whatever he likes-worthless fools! Well, maybe he'll die in the battle. Get yourself packed up-no son of mine is going to be a miserable coward!"

Jonathan went out looking like a lost puppy and Saul laughed behind him.

~*0*~

David also prepared for war. Achish the Philistine had allowed him, his men, and their families to live in Gath without fear and David had always felt that he should honor that goodwill whenever the opportunity presented itself. Of course, today, was different-today, he couldn't help but remember that his best friend would be on the other side of the battlefield.

"David." Achish's voice came from behind him, and David turned to see what he wanted.

"I'm sorry, David," the Philistine explained tiredly, "But you must go back to Ziklag."

"Why?" David asked, stunned by this turn of events. "What have I done?"

Achish shook his head. "Nothing, David-nothing."

"Then why?" David pressed for an answer.

"Because the Philistine commanders are jealous of you." Achish explained, "I tried to explain to them-reason with them-but they got into an uproar. They fear that you won't be loyal to us, since you were once a member of King Saul's army."

"But that's ridiculous!" David protested vehemently.

Achish held up a hand to silence the young man, "I know, David, "I know, but the Philistine commanders have insisted, and we must not do anything to upset them further-please, just go back to Ziklag."

David stared at the ground in frustration and gritted his teeth. Finally, he looked up and gave Achish a nod of acknowledgement. "I'll be gone in the morning," he said.

On the battlefield, all Jonathan saw were Philistines. There were hundreds of thousands of them and they swarmed around the Israelites like ants at a picnic. Yet the king's oldest son was afraid to throw his spear. Only one thought throbbed in his brain--What if I kill David?

Surely David is here-why wouldn't he be? Jonathan thought. He'd heard all sorts of stories about his friend's exploits on behalf of the Philistines and he didn't doubt any of them. His friend was a capable warrior and leader. Now everywhere he looked, Jonathan saw David's face.

"Jonathan!" Saul yelled, as he hacked off the head of a Philistine. Jonathan cried out because the dead man looked, for a moment, like David.

"Get it together and fight, you worthless fool," Saul's voice came again to Jonathan's ears, "You're the most capable man Israel has!"

That's because you sent my best friend running for his life. Jonathan thought grimly.

A Philistine approached and, with his father's admonishment still ringing in his ears, Jonathan drove his dagger deep into the man's heart. Then he jumped back in horror, seeing David's face appear on the dead man's features.

"Jonathan!" Saul's voice was more desperate this time, "Help your brothers, you fool!"

Jonathan saw more Philistines coming toward him. He couldn't swing-he couldn't. David seemed to be everywhere he looked. Which one was really his best friend? Where was he?"

"Jonathan!" Saul's voice seemed to shriek this time.

The enemy closed in.

David sat in a tent in Ziklag, anxious for news from the battlefield.

Suddenly, an Amalekite, from Saul's camp, appeared. His head was covered in dust and his clothes were torn. He bowed, paying homage to David. David's brows cocked upward in curiousity. He asked, "You just came from the battlefield, didn't you? What happened?"

The man stood before David, trying to catch his breath and rather unsure of how David might receive the news that he had to tell. But in the end, he knew the news had to be delivered, so he just sucked air into his lungs and told all there was to tell.

"I was on Mount Gilboa, and I saw Israel fall to the Philistine's swords-the men scattered in terror and many are dead." The Amalekite rushed to explain, "King Saul and his son Jonathan were killed."

David felt as if someone had ripped the heart out of his chest and stomped on it. Nausea swept over him and he gripped his dagger so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Are you sure of this?" he asked quietly, desperately hoping that it wasn't true, but somehow knowing that it was. He wanted to be sure.

"Yes." The Amalekite's response was equally soft and reverent.

"How do you know?"

"I was there."

"Tell me."

"I was the one who killed the king-he was gravely wounded, and he asked me too. I killed him with his own sword because he was not going to survive anyway." Then the Amalekite produced a crown and a band and handed them to David, "Look, my lord, I've brought you the crown that was on Saul's head and the band that was on his arm."

Looking down at the proof that Saul and Jonathan were really gone, David's hands moved, as if in slow motion. He took hold of his clothes and tore them. The other men did the same. They wept and fasted till evening. They mourned for Saul and Jonathan and for the army that was lost.

It was nearly nightfall when David summoned the Amalekite back into his tent. He asked, "Where are you from?"

"I'm an Amalekite" the man answered, "The son of an alien."

Why did you kill the Lord's anointed?" David pressed the man for an answer.

"But I've already told you, my lord-King Saul would not have survived-do you think that I would let him suffer humiliation at the hands of our enemies?"

David's face grew as hard and cold as stone, "You've testified with your own mouth that you killed the Lord's anointed; let your blood be on your own head."

The Amalekite stiffened and the hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up as David called one of his men to come in. He nodded to the Amalekite and said, "Kill him because he killed the Lord's anointed."

Much later that night, David lay out under the stars, staring up at the big blue expanse of Heaven, with tears distorting his vision. He thought back to the last time that he'd seen Jonathan. He remembered how hard it had been to say goodbye to his best friend. He remembered how he'd always held on to the hope that somehow someway God would reunite them in peace. Now that hope was shattered in a billion pieces.

He rubbed his hand over his face, as if to rub away all the pain the day had brought him. Then he found himself softly singing. It was an old childhood habit, singing was something that he'd always done, whether to celebrate a great joy or to lament a great sadness. Now he sang a song in memory of the Lord's anointed and his best friend. As the last lines of his song faded on his lips, the memory of his last meeting with Jonathan flashed before David's mind's eye. He and Jonathan were standing in that open field. With tear stained faces they had clasped one another's hands and said their goodbyes. Then David remembered the last thing that Jonathan had said to him.

"My friend, go in peace, for we have sworn an everlasting friendship with each other before the Lord."

David's mind began to churn with thoughts of how he might be able to honor the oath he'd made now.