Thank you all for those lovely reviews, either in private or on the site. It seems last chapter went over really well. Hopefully this one will as well.

Since I can't reply in private to fiction is life, I'll do so here: It's always sad to see that belief in Santa or any other magical beings end, but it's a part of life. Not sure if I could tell my little niece or nephew there's no such thing as Santa, like you. I'll leave that to their parents hahaha. Poetry and 14-year-olds doesn't go well together, but it's fun to write that ;-) And it's a field I'm comfortable with so it's easier to write. I'd be lost in a math's class scene. And more about Daniel's uneasiness here. It will continue even more, I promise. There are a lot of tiny story lines that will all be tied up by the end of this story. I hope so anyway ;-)

On with the story!

Chapter 11

Daniel tried not to glance outside, but it was hard not to when he could see their Jeep parked right outside the school. Couldn't Adam have parked on the other side of the building? Geesh. Right in view of his entire class. He wondered if Adam would come in. He also wondered what was worse: Adam coming in or Miss Morgan going out to meet him by the car? Would they kiss? The mere thought made him shudder and say a very quick prayer.

But he had no say in the matter. Adam had made that clear. Sure, his older brother had been very sympathetic when he'd come up to talk to him earlier that week, more sympathetic than Daniel had expected, but it had only meant he wasn't going to be punished for his rude and obnoxious behavior. Daniel would have gladly taken a whipping if it had meant Adam would cancel this date. Well maybe not gladly. But still, he'd make that deal in a heartbeat. Not that Adam would ever consider offering it.

Part of him was also angry at himself for being so selfish. It was as if he could look down on himself in those situations and he never liked what he saw. But he couldn't stop feeling the way he did either. The boy let out a deep sigh, why was this so difficult? He didn't like upsetting Adam. Yet, he kept on doing just that. Brian had definitely made that clear last night. He'd taken him aside and made him promise to stop giving Adam a hard time about Miss Morgan. Brian was right, Daniel knew that: Adam did deserve to have some time to himself, to be with a girl he liked. And when he made Brian that promise, Daniel had meant it. However, sitting in his class room right now, seeing the Jeep out there and thinking about his brother picking up Miss Morgan all his fears returned.

Finally the bell released them from their temporary prison some people called Spanish. Daniel tried to get out of the room as quickly as possible, but he wasn't quick enough. He'd only just managed to get through the door when Frank caught up with him.

"You in trouble?"

Daniel shook his head, but kept on walking, "Not that I know of."

"Just that I saw your brother's Jeep outside. Wondered if they'd called him." Frank shrugged, "I guess you'll find out soon enough if that's the case."

Relieved his friend dropped the subject so easily, Daniel nodded and followed him to the cafeteria. At least Frank seemed to be the only one who'd noticed the Jeep. Maybe Brian was right. Maybe things would be okay. Maybe he worried too much.

"You should see their faces when I mention poetry for the first time!" Emily couldn't help laughing when she saw Adam's face. "Yes, like that. Exactly like that."

"I'm sorry," Adam tried to straighten his face, "I really am. It's just…"

"You never liked it much yourself," she finished his sentence while she took her glass of ice tea.

"Mom's love of it skipped her first two sons. Crane gets it. And Daniel does. Evan, on the other hand, hates it. Ford and Guthrie, well, we'll have to see how it goes. Guthrie likes to read, but mostly adventure books."

"Sometimes I wonder why I bother trying to teach them poetry and literature at that age. It's discouraging. I guess, it's an acquired taste at best." Sometimes she really felt defeated, "And then you get a student like Daniel. And you feel hope."

"He's great when he likes the course."

"Well, we all are, I suppose," she smiled. "I don't think I was all that well behaved in the classes I didn't like."

Adam laughed, "True. I guess Daniel and I aren't so different in that respect." The smile disappeared, "But I sure wasn't as sensitive as he is. I never took things to heart the way he does."

"Are you sure about that? I mean…when you're 14 everything is blown out of proportion. Not being able to find your shoe is the end of the world."

The smile returned, but it was a wry one, "Let alone your guardian dating your teacher?"

"He's giving you a hard time about that?" Emily suddenly felt her throat constrict and carefully took another sip of her ice tea to hide her nerves. And maybe calm them.

"Nothing dramatic. He's afraid of being teased. That's the main thing, I think," Adam placed his hand over hers. "It really had nothing to do with you."

Just then their lunch was being served and he retracted his hand, although he held her gaze. Adam could kick himself for bringing up Daniel's mood. It was almost impossible for him, though, not to talk about his brothers. His family and the ranch were his life. What else could he talk about? Maybe cattle was a better subject. Or back to poetry? But he knew nothing about poetry.

"Did you always want to become a teacher?" Adam struggled on while digging into his pasta. He was glad he hadn't ordered spaghetti, because despite mom's endless attempts he had never mastered the fine art of eating that in an acceptable fashion. Lasagna was a safer choice.

"Well, my mom tells me I came home from my very first day at school stating I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. Of course, I thought I'd become a kindergarten teacher. The idea of studying literature didn't come up until I was about 16 or so."

Adam watched her skillfully twist her spaghetti on her fork, using her spoon to keep it in place. He was so mesmerized he almost forgot to talk, "You must have liked reading."

"Oh yes, I have always been able to lose myself in books. It was my quiet place with 5 siblings."

"I know all about wanting some time away," Adam swallowed a big bite before continuing, "If I wasn't helping dad on the ranch, I was stuck babysitting. Not that I hated it, but I'm glad my parents knew I needed things for myself too. For me it was sports, though. Getting away was playing football or basketball. Being with the guys. Hanging out after a game. I guess it wasn't so much about quiet time as it was about trying to become me."

"And now you're back at the ranch, raising your brothers."

"But not stuck. I guess I never realized I already was me. I didn't have to find it anywhere else, it was already there." As he spoke the words, Adam realized how true they were. Yes, Brian was right, he deserved things for himself, but he loved being who he was and where he was. He'd never trade it for the life he thought he wanted when he was 17. Not for the world.

"I thought we were friends, man."

"Huh?" Daniel turned his head to look at Frank who was standing next to him. They were early for their next class and had to wait outside the room.

"Well, unless you really didn't know your brother had a date with Miss Morgan, you lied to me this morning." Lying was something Frank despised. He'd been lied to too often at home and Daniel knew it.

"Man…damn it, Frank, I'm sorry, but…" It wasn't that Daniel didn't trust Frank. He trusted him like he trusted his brothers. The two had been friends since kindergarten. But to actually tell him about Adam and Emily? Somehow he hadn't been able to. "I didn't even want to think about it, let alone tell you."

"You sure? Cause it sounds like you don't trust me with a secret. I get that you don't want anyone to know, but I'm not anyone, okay." Frank really was mad, mad enough to have his hands balled into fists. Not that he would actually pounce on Daniel. He'd rather help Daniel fight others.

"I trust you. I just…it's like if I pretend it's not happening, it's not happening. I don't wanna talk about it. At all. Adam talked to me about. Brian did. Crane. They talk and talk and talk and they're right and all, but I get sick of talking." But deep down, he knew he'd been in the wrong lying to Frank.

"There's not telling and there's lying. I said I saw Adam and you said you didn't know what he was doing here."

"I'm sorry, okay, really," Daniel felt trapped. The one person in school who wouldn't have given him a hard time about it and he'd made him mad by lying.

"Whatever," Frank shrugged. With most other guys Daniel would have known that that was it, water under the bridge, done with, over. But not with Frank. Frank meant it like a girl could say it. Or like he could say it when Adam was hassling him.

"I'm sorry to keep you all waiting," A radiant Emily Morgan appeared behind them and opened the door, "I hope you're all ready for our dear mister Robert Frost, because I am!" The groan she heard as she stepped in, only made her smile this time.

"Ford?"

"Yeah?"

Guthrie hesitated. It had taken him almost 15 minutes before he'd even dared speak up and now that he had, he didn't know how to say what he wanted to say.

"What is it, Guth?"

"I…are you gonna buy Christmas presents?"

"I guess," Ford shrugged.

"Oh."

"Why?"

Avoiding eye contact Guthrie hid his worried face by looking outside, "Nothing."

"And you?"

Guthrie turned his head even more. He could feel his eyes well up and he sure didn't want to cry in the middle of the school bus.

Finally, Ford realized what Guthrie was so upset about. "You didn't save up cause you didn't know there was something to save up for."

A small, almost unperceivable nod was his answer. "I don't have nothing."

"Me neither," Ford admitted, "I had some money saved, but then I bought that radio controlled car and now I only have 30 cent. And the car broke down."

"I ain't even got that. I've got a nickel," Guthrie was still fighting the tears, "Can't buy nothing with that."

"Even if we put it together, it's not enough," Ford agreed. "We'll get to split up tomorrow at the mall, but there's nothing we can buy."

"A comic is only 25 cent, but Adam don..doesn't like comics and Brian…Adam said Brian wanted a date," Guthrie was thinking.

"Maybe we can get him a date," Ford was silent for a few moments, "Maybe at church Sunday."

"The girls at church are girls Adam has to approve of, right? Cause he sure don'…doesn't like the girls Brian dates." Both boys had heard Adam grumble about Brian's dates enough to get that impression. "Do you think they're…floozies?"

"Brian wouldn't date floozies, would he?" Ford frowned and then shook his head, "I bet that's just Adam being Adam."

"Yeah, and now that Adam has a girlfriend, maybe he won't mind so much when Brian goes out."

"I bet we'll find someone on Sunday."

"But Ford, how do we get someone to date Brian when we're asking for the date?" Guthrie wasn't quite sure how that would work out, "Do we tell her Brian sent us?"

"We have to find the right girl first." Ford had thought about that, but like Guthrie, he wasn't sure yet how to go about it. "Let's just see if we can find one first. Okay?"

"Okay," Guthrie felt more positive now, "But how about Adam?"

"Peppermint sticks. He likes those."

"But he always gets them. That's boring."

"Maybe, but I don't know anything else," Ford shrugged, "A song or a drawing…"

"I don't care what they say, it's still not a real gift. It's a baby gift," It was still hard for the 8-year-old to get over the baby-remark.

"Do you have a better idea?"

"Bet he'd like a new harmonica." Guthrie knew his brother had owned one, but it had gotten lost.

"Do you have any idea how much those cost!" Ford almost laughed at Guthrie's innocence.

"Lots?"

"Yeah, lots."

"Dang," Guthrie looked down at his hands, "Maybe we can find a way to make money? Offer to do chores? We can buy his gift later, right? In town maybe?"

"Not much time, but if Evan or Daniel will help get it, I'm sure we can." Neither boy was allowed in town alone and after school they always had to hurry to get to the school bus. But Evan had sports after school and Daniel was allowed to stay in town to hang out with a friend sometimes, so that might work.

"First we gotta think of a way to get more money," Guthrie was making lists in his head of things he could do. "Ohhh maybe we can be like the scouts and go around asking people if we can do chores for them to make some extra money."

"But then we have to stay in town. Adam ain't gonna like that, Guth," Ford was sure of that.

"We can ask, can't we?" Guthrie grinned, "There's no harm in asking."

"No!"

"But Adam…"

"I said no, Guthrie," Adam passed on the potatoes and took the salad from Evan. "I'm not changing my mind."

"Buy why not? We'd even be helping people." Guthrie hadn't put anything on his plate yet, a risky thing in the McFadden household, unless you were the youngest. As quickly as everything went from dish to plate to mouth, no one would let the youngest miss out.

"You wouldn't be helping them. You would be begging for money. Or exploiting the fact that they don't have anyone to help them." Finally a good, big spoonful of homemade applesauce and Adam was ready to eat.

"So if we wouldn't ask them to pay us it'd be okay?" Ford looked expectantly at his oldest brother.

"You're only doing it because you want to make money, so that's not a serious question." With that Adam dug in.

"But it is serious, Adam. I wanna know."

"You've got my answer. And that's that."

"You shouldn't talk with your mouth full," Daniel glanced at Adam who only raised an eyebrow in return. "Just saying."

"Hmm maybe you should practice the fine art of silence for once." Adam's words made the younger kids giggle, but Ford didn't let go that easily.

"You didn't say why yet, Adam."

"I don't really have to say why, buddy, my word is final."

"Ford," Brian spoke up, fearing a bigger argument than any of them was ready for, "I think you and Guthrie are still a bit too young to roam around town after school looking for chores. Maybe it would be different if we actually lived in town, but we don't. We just don't feel comfortable not knowing where you are. It's just too far away to town." He could tell Ford was ready to counter and frankly, if it had just been Ford the answer might have been different, but this involved Guthrie as well, so Brian quickly continued, "And there's the matter of homework and chores at home. Between school, chores, homework, dinner, bath, there's not much time left to do chores in town." The deflated look on the kids' faces broke his heart. "We all have responsibilities, boys, you too. And getting your homework done and your chores finished is yours. As well as having some time to play. You need to run around and play a bit too."

Guthrie blinked hard in order to will the tears away, "But I only have a nickel and we're gonna go get Christmas presents."

"Buddy," Adam sighed, "I told you, you don't have to buy us presents. Do something nice for us if you really want to give us something."

Guthrie shrugged and looked down at his plate. To his surprise it was filled. One glance at Brian told him his brother had filled his plate for him. He looked back down again and picked up his fork. He wasn't hungry, but knew Adam would make him eat at least some of it. As he picked through his food the tears dripped down, watering down the gravy.

After dinner Evan pulled the boys aside, "We can't talk here, but if you come to the barn we can talk in peace. Okay?"

"Why, Evan?" Guthrie couldn't imagine what his big brother wanted from them, but Ford nudged him.

"Shh, just wait."

"Right, Ford, just wait. See you in five okay?"

"Kay," Ford agreed and quickly finished wiping down the counter while Guthrie put the last of the dishes away. Guthrie trusted his brothers unconditionally, but couldn't help wondering what on earth Evan wanted. Ford, on the other hand, was excited. He knew Evan always had the best ideas and plans. Evan was a bit more daring than Ford was and he'd always admired that. Maybe Evan had the idea he and Guthrie had been unable to come up with. Stranger things had happened.

Five minutes later the two youngest boys slipped into the barn only to find it empty. Well, not empty, of course, but without the person they were looking for.

"Ev?" Ford glanced over a couple of stall doors, wondering if Evan was hiding in one of those.

"Up here, Ford," Evan's hear popped out over the edge of the hayloft. "Just come on up, no one will disturb us here."

Both boys quickly climbed up the ladder and settled on the hay bales. The hayloft was one of their favorite places. It was like a tree house, but even more secluded. Sometimes you could literally hide in the hay, because it was stacked so full, but other times, like now, there was just a stack against the wall. Evan had dragged a couple of bales off the stack and was in the middle of putting blankets on top of them. Hay always sounded very romantic to those who'd never handled it, but in reality the stuff got everywhere, stuck to you like crazy, and could literally scratch your skin open. Placing a blanket over it ensured you wouldn't have to spend half an hour getting all the hay off your jeans and coat.

Evan even had brought some cookies up and handed them out.

"You have a plan, Ev?" Ford came straight to the point while Guthrie immediately took a chocolate cookie and started to munch on it.

"I may have a plan, boys."

"To get more money?" Guthrie nearly lost half of the cookie as he spoke.

"That's gross, Guth," Evan pulled a face. "Not to get more money. Not in two weeks. Sorry, but unless you're willing to steal, there's just no way."

"Steal?" Guthrie's eyes went wide. "That's bad."

"I know," Evan agreed.

"The Bible says not to. It's in the…the Commandments"

"Yes, Guth, we know," Ford rolled his eyes. "And Adam and Brian don't like it much either."

Evan shuddered a little, "No kidding. Worst licking I've ever got. And it was just a piece of candy. Not that it matters how much you steal or what, it's the act itself." Clearly, the boy was repeating part of the lecture he'd gotten. A 9 year old Evan had tried to defend himself by saying it was just a piece of candy, but that argument hadn't gotten him far. It had merely led to an even longer lecture and a few extra swats for good measure. He hadn't gotten it in the barn, and was saved the belt, but there was a definite downside to getting spanked in your room: everyone could hear it. "Adam was right, though, I still can't believe I actually thought it was okay. It wasn't."

Guthrie was startled, "You stole?"

"Yeah, Guth, I did. Once, but once was enough. Never again. And I don't want you or Ford doing it either."

"We won't, Evan, I promise," Guthrie was quick to make that promise.

"As if I ever would," Ford said, disgusted at the thought that Evan felt he had to say that.

"Well, you might, if you were tempted," Evan explained.

"No stealing. We established that," Ford was ready to move on, "But you wouldn't have called us up here if you didn't have a plan."

"Yeah, sorry," Evan blushed a little, "Didn't mean to turn this into a lecture. I did have a bit of an idea, but it depends on what you guys were thinking of."

Guthrie and Ford exchanged a look and finally Ford said, "We were gonna get Brian a date, like Adam said he'd like. And Adam…we needed money to get him a harmonica maybe."

"He didn't play it much anyway," Evan shook his head. He pulled up his legs, putting his feet on the bale and hugged his knees. "He prefers the guitar. You know that. Or even the piano. A date for Brian? Where on earth? You can't go into a bar."

"We were gonna find him a girl in church on Sunday," Guthrie smiled brightly. "There's lots of girls in church."

Although Evan wondered if those were the kind of girls their big brother liked, he didn't voice those thoughts nor did he tell his brothers that Brian certainly never needed help finding dates, "He does like to date. But it's hard to pull it off as a Christmas gift. You can't very well wrap her up and put her under the tree." That made all three boys giggle madly.

"You'd have to put a bow on her," Ford laughed.

"Or in a box," Guthrie suggested, laughing even louder.

Finally, the fit of giggles subsided a little and Evan spoke again, "See? It wouldn't work. Even if I think it's a great idea."

"But now we have no idea left!" Guthrie quickly went from giggling to the first tears welling up in his eyes. "I wanted to give them a nice gift."

"Well," Evan dragged out the word, "I may have an idea for that. One that doesn't even cost much"

"What idea, Evan?" Guthrie leaned forward on his arms, in fact, he was leaning so far that he nearly fell off the hay.

"Well..," Evan grinned and then pulled his bale even closer to their heads were nearly together, "I have a great idea, but it really has to come from all of us. Even Daniel, so we'll have to get him involved as well…."

"So, any new chicks there?"

"What? No "how are your grades, Crane?" Crane teased his older brother.

"Well, I figured I'd start easy and then jump you with the tough questions," Brian lounged on the sofa, stretching out his long legs as he talked on the phone.

"Let me save you the trouble: grades are fine, as always. Don't worry, they're high enough not to jeopardize my scholarship. There are no girls really to distract me. I've learned my lesson there."

"Yes, girls are nothing but trouble," Brian grinned, "Just don't follow my example."

"Definitely won't, bro, I'm staying away from girls for now."

"Can't say the same for Adam."

"What? Oh yes, Daniel's teacher," Crane didn't have Brian's luxury of being able to lounge as he talked to him. He didn't have a private phone in his room, so had to share the phone in the hall way downstairs. During the long phone calls home at least every Friday it was a pain standing there trying to have a private conversation while people walked by, giggling, talking, calling out to each other. But he knew the extra expense for a private phone was too much right now. "Daniel told me about it."

"He's not happy about it, I know."

"He'll get over it, Brian," Crane was convinced, "He wants to be happy for Adam. He's struggling with all those teenage emotions and hormones. But you know Daniel, he's a great kid. He'll get there eventually. Adam shouldn't take it personally, it's just a teenage thing. You and Adam had the same kind of struggles when you were 14."

"Don't remind me!" Brian rolled his eyes, "I was a rotten kid."

"No, you weren't and you'd never have heard mom or dad say that."

"I know…but sometimes it's hard to look back at things and know how you acted, know how much of a pain in the butt you were."

"Talk for yourself, Brian!" Adam suddenly appeared behind the sofa, "Mind if I finally get a chance to talk to my little brother as well? A guy could start to feel his brother doesn't want to talk to him!"

"Adam wants a talk a well, buddy," Brian said in the phone, "so we'll got this short. Talk to you next week. Be good."

"Always…bye Brian!"

Before he'd actually finished his words to Brian Adam had already snatched the phone from his younger brother and shooed him off the sofa so he could sit down himself. "How're you doing, Crane?"

"Hi Adam, doing fine."

"Yeah? Grades good?" Adam didn't have to see Crane to know the boy was rolling his eyes.

"Of course they're good."

"Don't roll your eyes at me, young man."

"Then don't ask the same question every time you talk to me, Adam."

"Ready for finals?"

"yeah, pretty much."

"Yes or pretty much?" Adam was well versed in ways his brothers would tell him they weren't quite ready for something but didn't want him to know. "There's a difference as you know."

"I was the one who taught you to listen for those small differences in wording, remember?"

"I remember, so I know you're an expert at it. And you haven't answered my question."

Crane sighed, "I know, not trying to be evasive. It's a lot of work and I'm almost ready, just never feel you're quite ready. It's not like high school. Here, you never feel ready for an exam or a quiz."

"Okay, as ready as you can then."

"I'm as ready as I can be. The next two weeks are going to be tough, but then I get to come home for a couple of weeks for Christmas. Very much looking forward to that."

"So are we, kiddo, so are we. We miss you."

"You miss me being an go-between for you and Daniel." Crane said it teasingly, but there was a hint of truth to it.

Adam, however, denied it, "No, I'll admit there are times I wish you were here to help with the boys, but mostly we miss you, kiddo. Don't be mistaken about that."

Crane blushed and turned his face to the wall so the girl that came walking down the hall wouldn't see him. "I know. Didn't mean it like it came out."

"Don't worry about it. Just know we're here for you."

"That was easier when I was still at home, Adam."

Something in Crane's tone got Adam's parental radar up, "Something wrong, kid?"

Crane shrugged at the wall. He wasn't sure he wanted to talk to Adam about it, but on the other hand, he had to talk to someone.

Crane's silence caused Adam to worry. What on earth was going on? "Crane? Buddy? Hey, if something is wrong you know you can talk to me, right?"

"I know, it's just…I'm not exactly in the best of places for a talk and I guess I already know what you're gonna say?"

"I'm not that predictable, am I?"

"You kinda are, Adam. You're gonna say to just let it go and focus on my studies."

Adam closed his eyes for a moment. Those words alone were enough to cause that tight feeling in his insides, "Okay, now you've got me worried, kiddo." He'd leaned back on the sofa, but was now sitting up straight.

"It's not about me, Adam, don't worry," but the words did little to calm Adam down. "It's just that there's something going on that's not right and no one wants to really talk about it. And that in itself is not right."

"Whoah….you've totally lost me, kid. I think you need to go back to the beginning."

"One of my professors was fired."

"Fired?"

"Yes, fired. For being gay." Crane let those words hang in the air for a bit and when no reaction followed he added, "That's against the law, Adam!(*) And even if it wasn't against the law, it's not right."

"I know where you're coming from, Crane, but many people have very strong feelings on this subject. A gay professor might cost them a lot of students."

"So you just give in because some bigots might not like what you're doing?"

"You're being a little harsh, Crane. It will take time for people to adjust. The law is still very new."

"I know. But that doesn't make it less valid. And it doesn't make it right to fire him."

"Maybe not, but if it's against the law, the best thing for him to do is get a lawyer and sort this out."

"Yeah, like that will help. A court case will mean he won't be able to work anywhere. No one hires someone who rocks the boat. It's one thing to have a gay professor no one really knows about, it's another if that person was involved in a huge court case over being gay. I'm not that naïve, Adam."

"I'm not saying you're naïve, but there are routes to go in case of wrongful dismissal. I'm sure your professor knows that."

"He does, but he has his career to think about. So now he's quiet hoping he'll find employment elsewhere."

"Sounds like he's being sensible about it."

"Adam! That's wrong! A man's been done wrong here and you say he should be sensible and just lay low?"

"I'm just saying that it's not your battle. He knows what his options are and he's chosen this path, there's nothing you can do to change that."

"Maybe I can," Crane said much more forcefully than he meant to.

Adam was quiet for a second, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I think there's prove that this is the reason he's been fired. And I think the dean or someone even higher up has been blackmailed into firing him. There has to be prove of that somewhere."

"Crane, you have finals!"

"I know, but that's only a few hours a day, the rest I can use to investigate."

"A few hours for the exam, the rest to study for the next one."

"I've studied all I can study. Last minute cramming is counter-productive. That's a fact, Adam."

"Even so, you don't have that time to run around campus on some kind of witch hunt."

"They're the ones on a witch hunt. I can't just sit here and be quiet while injustice is done. I can't, Adam."

"I'm telling you you'll have to!"

"I gotta go…"

"Don't you dare hang up on me, mister!" Adam didn't realize his volume had risen. Crane had already started to put the receiver down, but hesitated at Adam's edict. It took a few moments but finally he put the receiver at his ear again.

"Yes, sir."

"Oh God, I don't mean for you to 'sir' me all the time, but kiddo,"

"I know….I have my job here and that is getting my degree. I need to focus on that."

"Yeah…"

"See, I knew you were going to say that."

"Maybe I am predictable, but hear me out, Crane."

"Okay," Crane had a pretty good idea what Adam was going to say and he already regretted having told his brother. It was easier to act and explain or apologize later. If Adam laid down the law and he did what he wanted to anyway, he'd be disobeying his brother. Still, he listened respectfully.

"You do have one job there, which is focusing on your studies. Yes, have some fun in between, but you can't do anything to jeopardize that degree, kid."

"I'm not…sorry, I said I'd listen," Crane caught himself even though he still didn't think he was jeopardizing anything.

"Good catch, and thanks. Snooping around, going against the university's ruling on this, could definitely get you in trouble and jeopardize your future at Davis. You could end up on disciplinary probation just for being a trouble maker. Never mind what else they can do. I have been your guardian for the past six years, kid, I have to look out for you. I know your heart is telling you to stand up for those who can't defend themselves, to stand up for justice, and I love you for that character trait. But this is a grown man who knows exactly what was at stake, who until very, very recently could be legally fired because of his…eh…."

"Sexual orientation."

Adam took a deep breath, "Sexual orientation. And he also knows there's legal protection now, so he can take it to court. That's the way to go about it. If he doesn't, that is his choice. Keep in mind that the things you might do to help him, could also jeopardize his entire future."

Crane waited for a moment, not wanting to interrupt Adam, mostly out of respect for the man who had raised him from the age of 12, "I won't jeopardize his future, Adam, I promise. And you don't have to worry about my own either."

"I'll hold you to that promise, Crane."

"Yes, sir, I know and you can. I…Adam, I really have to go now. Someone else wants the phone." It was a little white lie, that might be the truth after all. A guy from the second floor was coming his way and he might be doing that so he could use the phone. It could be.

"Okay, I'll talk to you next week. Good luck on your exams…and…remember what I said."

"I will. Bye.." After hanging up Crane leaned against the wall closing his eyes.

"Hey, you finished with the phone?"

"Oh yeah..yeah I am." He gave the guy as much privacy as possible in the busy hall way and headed up to his own room to think up a strategy.

Back on the Circle Bar 7 Ranch Adam leaned back on the sofa, also closing his eyes. His hand was shaking a little, but he felt intense relief at having gotten the promise. Crane wouldn't break his promise. Suddenly he sat up with his eyes wide open. "I'm an idiot!"

"How come, Adam?" Guthrie said from the doorway, Ford and Evan nearly bumping into him.

"Nothing, Guthrie, nothing. You boys need to get ready for bed. Tomorrow will be a long and busy day." He never even realized that it was a bit odd all three did so without protest. All he could think of was 'Crane never did promise to stay out of it or even not to risk his own place at Davis.' All the boy had promised was not to jeopardize his professor's future. The next words had sounded like they also meant a promise not to risk his own, but all he'd actually said was Adam needed worry. That alone was enough to make the man lose nights of sleep worrying over the brother 2 hours and 100 miles away.

T.B.C.

(*) I am aware that in 1978 this wasn't against the law yet in California. It wasn't until 1979 that there was some form of employment protection, but I'm hoping you will all forgive me this little literary license. It worked well for the story.