If you recognise it… I don't own it.
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"Magnificent Seven" – Middle
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"My dear boy!" The man's smile was wide as he approached JD.
"What are you doing here?" JD didn't back up, but Nathan could see that the youngest of the Seven was disconcerted.
"Looking for you, my boy." The man replied.
"What's my name?" JD retorted, "Go on. Tell me. What's my name?"
"Jonathan." The man sighed, after a pause.
"My name," JD replied, "Is JD Dunne. To my friends I'm JD. To you, I'm Dunne. What do you want?"
"This really isn't the place for this. Shall we go somewhere to talk?"
"Whatever you have to say to me, you can say it right here." JD stated.
"I would prefer to talk in private." The man motioned at Nathan, who had moved to stand just behind JD's shoulder in silent support.
"Anything you have to say to me," JD snorted, "You can say in front of Nathan."
"It's of a private matter." The man spoke slowly, "I doubt your mother ever told you…"
"I'm your bastard." JD interrupted.
The man stared at JD, shock and surprise clearly visible on his face.
"Oh," JD laughed slightly, "Wasn't I supposed to know? Ma never kept it a secret from me. She told me who you were and why I couldn't tell anyone… The Young Master couldn't disgrace his father, the Master, with a bastard to his name."
Nathan started to feel his blood turn to ice. JD was casually throwing around terms that he only used either when he had been a slave or when he was referring to his time as a slave. And by the way they rolled off JD's lips, he was clearly comfortable with them.
"Son…" The man tried again.
"Don't start." JD sighed, "What is it? The Young Mistress finally given up trying? Or is she dead? Or is it that the breeding mares, as you called them, aren't even carrying anymore?… You didn't claim me then… I don't claim you now."
"Son, I made a mistake."
"You made loads of them. As far as I'm concerned… I don't have a father. Go away."
"Son, please… I know I didn't do right by you and your mother… I'm here to right what I did back then… You're my son. I wish to make that known. I want to make you my heir."
"How?" JD laughed, "You're not Welsh. So you can't claim me under the code of Hywel Dda. And anyway, who would respect a man, whose only child was from the loins of his chambermaid? Or respect the child of such a union?"
"We can produce a history that allows for your existence… The child of a woman with whom I had a relationship. She left before I learnt of the existence of a child. However as she was dying she sent me a letter telling me of you…"
"Everyone knows I'm your bastard son. There's no way you could hide that. The entire household knows it. You can't keep them quiet. And you can't fire them, because the gossip would travel with them. You're stuck!"
"Come back with me. We can find a way around the problems. I need to do right by you, for your mother's sake."
"No way." JD replied quickly, "No way in hell. You raped my ma. You beat me. You didn't even care about Charlene… I don't want to be your son. But I can't help what I am. I can only change who I am. And who I am, is JD Dunne of the Magnificent Seven."
"Son, I never laid a hand on your mother in anger."
"No, but threatening to have her job, if she won't do as you say, counts." JD spat back, "You kept us there as virtual prisoners! No references, meant no jobs. And ma had too much pride to lower herself any further than she already was… And she'd never have made me suffer that… Bad enough that you liked to play around with the chambermaids, at least the work was steady. And the pay was reasonable."
"Son, it wasn't like that. I don't know what your mother told you… But it wasn't like that."
"Yeah, it was." JD's voice was icy, "And I'm not coming back. You burned your bridges long ago. I got out. I got away. And I'm not coming back. Go home."
"Please son… I'm trying to do the right thing by you."
"You're desperate. She died, didn't she? The Mistress? Now with the Old Master dead these past nine, ten years… And you married for the last thirteen… That means you really need to produce an heir… Else it all goes to your cousin."
"What?"
"Oh, I know about the Will," JD shrugged, "You have to produce an heir within ten years of the Old Master's death, or it all goes to your cousin. Who's married with three kids as I recall… I don't care for you. And I don't want your money… You have until tomorrow to get out of town, or I drive you out."
"You can't do that. This isn't your town."
"Nathan," JD turned to the healer, "What am I?"
Nathan frowned slightly as he looked at JD. The young Easterner had been careful not to turn his back on his former employer, and while he seemed to be solely concentrating on Nathan, it was clear to Nathan that he wasn't.
But Nathan didn't quite understand what JD wanted him to say. He glanced almost in desperation at JD's eyes.
Then he saw it. JD flicked his gaze to the Sheriff's Office.
In an instant Nathan knew what it was like for Chris and Vin… It wasn't a silent form of communication as he had often suspected. It was simply that the two men were so in tune with each other that the slightest movement could be interpreted correctly.
"You're the Sheriff." Nathan declared.
"So I guess that makes this my town then?" JD carried on.
"You could say that."
"So I could run anyone out of town that I wanted?"
"If you wanted to." Nathan smiled.
"You have until sunrise." JD turned back to his former employer.
"I don't have any means of getting out of town."
"If you were me, you'd say walk." JD spat, "I'll let you stay until the next Stage-Coach leaves. I don't care if you leave on it or not… But if you're in town after then, I'll run you out."
"You going to lock me up in the jail, too?"
"I'd like to… Oh, I'd really like to." JD replied, "But I swore to uphold the Law… And that means I can't abuse my power… But if you so much as throw one punch or kiss one woman against her will… I'll lock you up. And I'll enjoy it. Nathan? You know those herbs you showed me last week? I'd like to learn some more, if you wouldn't mind."
"Of course not." Nathan knew a verbal escape route when he heard one.
"You would rather talk to a darkie than your own father?" The man hissed.
"I would rather claim Nathan as a brother than you as a father." JD snarled, "You are nothing to me. And I sure as hell wouldn't go anywhere with you."
With that as a final statement, JD spun on his heel and strode quickly towards Nathan's clinic. Nathan following his JD's wake, carefully watching to see that they weren't followed.
"Can he see?" JD asked, once they had turned the corner.
"No." Nathan flicked his gaze back.
JD didn't respond verbally. He simply doubled over and started to throw up.
Nathan moved to support the smaller frame and calm the fast beating heart he could almost feel through the layers of tweed and cotton.
"I can't… Believe… I just… Did that." JD managed between heaves.
"Up to the clinic." Nathan declared.
"I'm fine." JD tried to bat Nathan's hands away, as the healer hauled an arm over his shoulders.
"You are not fine!" Nathan stated, "You are suffering from nerves. And you just did something that took a great deal of courage. I have something that'll help."
Nathan semi-dragged JD up to the clinic, dumping the kid onto the bed, albeit being in a sitting position.
"Stay here." Nathan ordered, "I'm going to get you some milk. Help settle your stomach."
"Nathan." JD's voice stopped Nathan at the door.
"Yeah, kid?" Nathan half-turned.
"Can you… Can you not tell anyone that he's my father?" JD's eyes begged more than his words.
"Sure." Nathan nodded, "Why?"
"He's something I left behind when I came West. I left a lot of bad stuff behind when I came West. I'd rather not think about any of it. And I'd rather no one knew about it."
"We wouldn't think any less of you."
"It's the past. I'd rather not think about it. I don't wanna see him again."
"He's still your father, JD." Nathan reminded.
"No," JD shook his head, "He's the Master. Formerly the Young Master. He yelled at me. He beat me when I failed to get his horse ready quick enough. He never was a father to me. As far as I'm concerned… I don't have a father… The only family I have are the six of you... My brothers."
"You would claim us over blood kin?"
"Freely and willingly." JD shrugged, "My only blood family died before I came West. I don't have a father… Unless Josiah or Chris counts."
"Chris would kill you if he heard that." Nathan retorted.
Inwardly Nathan wasn't sure. He knew that Josiah would feel pride and pleasure at the statement… Chris was a bit of a mystery. While he rode JD hard, whenever the kid wasn't looking there was a touch of almost paternal pride in his eyes.
"I won't tell." Nathan agreed, "Stay here, I'll be back in a moment."
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