Title: The Truth Will Set You Free

Author: Tali

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize it belongs to many other more talented people. I am not being paid to do this.

Rating: R for language, slash relationship and who knows what.

Summery: Bobby learns things about his parents past. He learns things about his father and decides to find out the truth. He decides to find Ennis. He wants to know the truth about his father.

Author's Note: My time line looks like this for the purposes of this story: 1963- Brokeback; 1966- Bobby is born. 1967- First post card/fishing trip for Jack/Ennis; 1983- Jack dies; 1993- Lureen dies and Bobby learns about Ennis. This would put Bobby at 16 when his father died and about 26 when his mom dies and would make Ennis in his 50's. ALSO: I am so sorry this took so long to get out. As most of you know I had family stuff and my computer decided to be a real pain in the butt. I finaly got it writen checked and posted. Agian so sorry to make you wait.

Feedback: Thank you to every one who gave feedback your words of encouragement are what is really pushing this fic along. I think this chapter has been one of the hardest to write of course I haven't started the next so who knows. Please let me know what you think. Thank you, Tali.

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(10?)

Charlie and Bobby had excused them selves to take care of their foreman problem and Bobby had returned alone but with a smile. "Charlie's ridding." Ennis nodded in understanding. Bobby turned motioning for Ennis to fallow him up stairs. Fallowing Ennis remembered the last time he'd taken these stairs. He remembered the shabby little room that had been the whole wide world to his love as a small boy. It had broken his heart then. Now however the entire house looked well loved, lived in but still fresh and new. Like the couple who lived in it, Ennis thought to himself.

Stopping Ennis looked in the open door way not sure what to expect. A lump swelled in his throat and he swallowed repeatedly to stop the over whelming feeling of love. The rooms floor boards, like the rest of the house floors had been stripped, sanded, and freshly stained. Ennis entered the room standing in the center of the room that is when the new paint color registered. Thought it looked white there was the slightest hint of blue in the wall color. The sheers had been removed from the window leaving it clean and wide open so the sun could shine through. The old shelf still hung in its place but was now flanked by two more. Full up with the odds and ends that once filled the empty surfaces of the room. The metal frame of the bed had been repainted white and a thicker mattress now lay covered in stark white sheets and matching pillow cases, folded up at the foot was an old hand made quilt, they'd pressed it against the wall under the house eave. The desk and its chair had been sanded and stained and now rested under the window. The stool Ennis had once used to sit and look out Jack's childhood window was now a nightstand. A corner next to the desk had a leather club chair in it and the space between the bedroom and closet door held a tall cabinet. Inside the top doors was a TV and other electronics and the bottom had drawers. Ennis turned smiling a little. This is what Jack's room should have looked like. This reminded him of Jack bright, happy, playful and masculine all at the same time. This place made him feel closer to Jack some how.

Bobby watched the play of emotions on Ennis' face. For such a quiet closed in made lots showed on his face. Bobby could see what his father had loved about this man, he obviously felt deeply. "The boxes are this way." He pointed moving down the hall. "The other side of the upstairs holds a master suite. We had to take a bedroom out for it. We added on but not enough to give us two guest rooms." He smiled a little at Ennis who was again fallowing him past a clean white bathroom with bright red accents and into a larger room that seemed to serve many purposes. "This is our den. With the kitchen, dinning room, and living room down stairs there wasn't much room for a desk and our other odds and ends down there. So we set this room up for it.

Up against the wall under the window farthest from the door was a large desk it was flanked by a book self to the left and two filing cabinets to the right. On top were a computer and various baskets and organizers. Next to the door was a long closet that had its doors open and inside was a huge television and all the requisite electronic hook ups including one of those video game things his grand son lived on. Under the window opposite the door were two large recliner chairs. A sleeper sofa was against the wall just in front of the door. An area rug, table with large cushions were in the center of the room. "This is kind of our everything room. There's a TV down stairs but this is where Charlie keeps most his gadgets. He loves this stuff. Every other week there's something new he wants to git." Bobby gives a dazzling smile sitting in a recliner. "Have a seat Ennis."

It was then Ennis noticed the boxes littering most of the available surface. Some were large some small. Each had a word across it in marker. "Living Room" or "Mom's Office" six at least read, "Mom and Dad's Room". Sitting on the sofa Ennis rubbed his hands on his jeans. His heart beat fast, who knew what he would be seeing shortly. He was terrified and thrilled at the same time and it was all starting to give him a headache. Bobby reached over and pulled open the first box. Almost like he was trying to rip the band-aid off fast as he could to stop it from hurting too much, just dive right in. He opened first a box from his mom's office and smiled. "Mom left a letter, said Dad left you these things. Wanted you to have them." The box was passed to Ennis the harmonica back inside it.

Shaking a little Ennis swallowed and gently opened the box. He was shocked to find every post card he'd sent Jack inside. The one that said he was divorced had wet stains, and Ennis instinctively knew they were from tears. Not his tears, Jack's, there were Jack's tears of happiness and hope. He took a deep breath and smiled sadly at the next post card, which had been ripped up, then lovingly taped back together. He didn't have to check the date to know it was the one that he sent after he'd sent Jack back to Texas with his tail between his legs. The next thing he saw was a piece of shiny metal warped and bent and he laughed. "Yer Daddy played this all the damn time on Brokeback, couldn't play worth a plug nickel, but he played on any how. I never hated nothing' so much in my life, until we parted ways..." He looked at the far wall off in his own place. "... Once he was gone, I used to dream of this damn thing. I'd hear it in my dreams and some times for no reason I'd hear him playing it. Made me miss him something fierce." Ennis sighed sadly shaking his head. Also inside was that rodeo buckle Jack had been flashing about at the campfire. That damn buckle used to rip his hand up when he was struggling to get Jack's pants off with quickness. Ennis' sad smile took on a smirk that was swiftly joined by a blush. Clearing his throat he looked at Bobby, "You sure yer Daddy didn' want you ta have this stuff?"

Shaking his head Bobby just watched Ennis go though the things, the made didn't really have to tell him, but he was and it meant so much he was afraid to speak up and break the spell. For all Ennis said it was obvious in his eyes what Ennis wasn't saying.

What lay at the bottom shocked Ennis most of all. It was an envelope addressed to him. The date on it was 1980 and he frowned wondering why it had never been sent. Closing the box he decided to read the letter later.

The rest of the afternoon was spent going through box after box of things. Jack's old black hat with the twisted band still smelled of his sweat and the sweet air up on Brokeback. Bobby had instantly insisted Ennis have it. Ennis declined any of Jack's shirts and Bobby had given him a questioning look. "I'll tell ya later, ok?" Bobby had nodded and they'd continued on.

Ennis got a few other things, a cassette tape that still had Jack's voice on it. Jack was singing, caterwauling some old country tune. There was laughter in the background obviously Lureen and Bobby. Bobby had told Ennis he could have that one; he had ones with them all singing. When they first got he cassette recorder the family had played endlessly with it. Ennis couldn't wait to put it in his truck player, Jack's voice would take him home and Ennis was endlessly grateful for it. Finally Bobby sighed and opened the box marked photos. This was the one that Ennis had been desperate to get to. Bobby and Ennis were now seated next to each other leaning against the sofa with open boxes and the Twist family memories all around them. The first was a wedding album and Ennis smiled, Jack and Lureen looked happy at their wedding. She was a pretty little gal. He could see the wild recklessness in her eyes and instantly knew what had attracted she and Jack to one another.

Ennis chuffed a little and shook his head. "Yer Momma sure was a looker, Kiddo."

"Hey! That's my mom! And I thought you loved my Dad!" Bobby scolded Ennis as if he wasn't sure who to be offended for. This made Ennis burst into an unexpected bout of laughter. Bobby just smiled at the older man, knowing only one other person had seen Ennis relax like that laughing and happy. "Did Dad make you laugh?"

"Jack? Yeah, Jack had a knack for always knowing ta say or do ta make me laugh. Yer Daddy had an amazing way about him, no one else seemed to get ta me the way he did." Ennis sighed looking at the picture of a smiling Jack.

Moving on they worked through photo's Bobby explaining who most of the people were. Some times Bobby would remove a picture and give it to Ennis. Pulling out a very old thin leather bound album Bobby handed it to Ennis. "I think this should be yours, just promise it'll come back to me when you don't need it no more?" Bobby was blinking back tears and Ennis nodded worried as he looked at the book.

Bobby stood. "I'll let you look through that alone. I'm gonna check on Charlie, He's cooking I can smell it. I'll call for lunch ok?" Quickly he left the room needing his lover's arms immediately. He'd struggled hard with the decision to give that album to Ennis. He'd only gone through it once he'd returned home from Riverton. It was Jack's private album. The first couple of pages had picture of the family. Bobby from a baby until the year his dad died, Lureen both young in a red cowgirl shirt and older with her bleached blond style and fake nails, some with him some with out and then the book was filled with pictures of the out doors. Rivers, forests, trails, mountains, and one in particular was a valley filled with sheep and a river running through it. To the back was two full pages twelve or so pictures of Ennis. All were obviously taken covertly. Ennis fast asleep. Ennis next to the fire. Ennis on his horse. Ennis shaving. Ennis. Ennis. Ennis.

Shaking his head Ennis wondered how Jack had gotten these pictures with out the flash alerting him. The ones in the day he could understand, but the night ones, it didn't make any sense. Deciding he could accept the gift for what they were he smiled. Jack had been a complete romantic. Each picture seemed to be a place a special place for them. Jack had obviously gone back to each place and taken pictures. Rough weathered fingers gently ran over the photos.

"Damn Jack... I never thought I'd be with out you... and still I wake up every day and it hits me like new." He whispers finally letting the tears come. Quietly he cried into one of the shirts laid to the side. He inhales deeply Jack's scent and lets the material soak up his tears. Finally he gets control of himself putting all of the sweet treasures Bobby had given him into a box that Bobby had scribbled, 'ENNIS' across.

"Ennis, man you up there?" Charlie hollered up the stairs. "Bobby ran ta get some ice, ya wanna come on down for lunch. The ice makers jist in the shed."

Standing Ennis picks up his box and goes down the stairs. Setting the box next to the front door he smiles, asking Charlie who has returned to the kitchen. "Can I use your wash room to clean up?"

"Oh yeah! Just under them stairs." Charlie smiles from the doorway. "Hurry up, I used some left over roast to make chopped barbeque sandwiches!"

Ennis finished cleaning up washing his face of its tears and sat down to lunch with Jack's son and his lover. They laughed and teased most of the meal, about the third beer Ennis looked at the boys and Charlie sighed at him. "It wasn't always this easy fer us..."