J.D. sat for a moment, embarrassed that he had pushed so hard on Jack…and without any warning or real reason. Just drop in and scare the hell out of him. He had seen Jack's face and knew that he was preparing for a beating…or worse. That sight had brought his control back and the fear and need inside of him eased some.

Jack had asked him if he wanted to talk. This was a good man Ennis had to offer to help after such a scare. J.D. felt ashamed hat he had treated him so roughly.

This was J.D.'s first chance to talk with someone, so taking a deep breath, he started.

"His name was Nathan…" J.D. looked up to see Jack's eyes snap to his. Likely the last thing he expected me to say, thought J.D.

J.D. swirled the whiskey in his glass, downed it and placed the glass by his chair. He took another deep breath not believing he finally had the chance to tell the story.

"Nathan McAlister. Most people called him Nate."

They had met when J.D. had helped Nathan out of a bad situation at school. Nathan had just moved to the area, a high school senior, and was of course being pushed around and beaten on by the school bullies. J.D. saw this as he was walking home from school.

J.D. kept himself pretty aloof most of the time and would not normally intervene unless something really bad was happening but was brought to a halt, frozen where he stood, when he looked at who they were beating on.

He saw three of the school bullies led by Jesse the school bad ass. They had Nathan down on the ground, the occasional kick coinciding with the verbal assault. It was when Nathan looked up catching his eye that caused J.D. to stop.

Nathan's eyes were so dark brown they appeared black…which matched his slightly wavy hair. He had fair skin which showed off his eyes and hair even more, high cheekbones, red lips, slight shadow of a beard. There was blood on the right side of his chin and a bruise over his right eye. All these supplied an image which ran through J.D.'s body like electricity.

J.D. looked at Nathan with confusion. He knew that he had never seen him before but couldn't shake the immediate recognition of Nathan as someone he knew and knew well...a recognition of a closeness and intimacy that had J.D. shaking. Those dark eyes were pleading with him for help and J.D. found the need to protect Nathan overwhelming all thought.

Nathan looked up and saw J.D….the reddish-blond hair, the stocky build…the shock and confusion on his face. As with J.D., there was the instant recognition of their bond. Nathan recognized also the protector he had always known should be there…but hadn't been…the one he could lean on for safety and comfort. He was blinded by the vision of his need made manifest.

"JESSE," J.D. shouted, "get the hell away from him." Jesse turned toward J.D. with a sneer. "Hey, J.D. You here to get a piece of this…?"

"I said get away from him," quiet menace now evident in his tone. J.D. watched Jesse's face take on an expression of glee that now he would have someone else to kick around. J.D. was standing only a couple of feet away.

Jesse slid his eyes slowly from J.D. down to Nathan and started to raise his foot to kick Nathan again. He never made it. J.D. charged Jesse who was standing nearest to him, slamming a right into his jaw, a left to the stomach sending him sprawling. The other two bullies backed away being the cowards they were. Jesse lay there partially conscious, bleeding from his left cheekbone.

J.D. was shaking from the adrenaline of the fight but also from the mysterious but continued need to save and protect this man he knew but had never seen. A hand was laid gently on his shoulder and he instantly calmed feeling as if that hand was supposed to be there…a part of him…had always been there.

J.D. looked up to see those dark eyes staring at him quietly. He was holding his side, clearly in pain and having difficulty standing. J.D. stood placing himself between Nathan and Jesse.

Jesse went to stand up, J.D. dropped to one knee and caught him by the collar before Jesse could finish the motion, "If I ever catch you near him again, you'll wish this is all I do to you." J.D. watched as Jesse started to smile but then that smile evaporated as Jesse saw J.D. was completely serious.

Jesse shook J.D.'s hand off of him and stood up, casting only one glance of contempt at Nathan before he walked off. The other two slunk off behind him.

J.D. turned, "Hey…uh…you okay?". Nathan looked at him. There were those eyes again, those lips. J.D. felt light-headed. All he could feel was that he had met once again someone he had known for a long time.

Nathan could barely speak looking at his dream standing before him. "Can you help me? I think they broke a rib." His voice was soft but clear, articulate. His face showed clearly the pain he was suffering.

J.D. was reaching for Nathan to help him when Nathan took J.D.'s hand. "You're bleeding." J.D. looked at his hand where he had broken the skin over a knuckle…trembling once again from the contact.

"It's…nothing, really. I'm okay." J.D. was sweating with the need to take Nathan and hold him close to ease his pain. Nathan looked up shyly at J.D., also overcome by the contact.

Composing himself Nathan put his left arm around J.D.'s neck. J.D. put his right arm around Nathan's back and under his arm to take his weight. Nathan gasped once as he got up reaching for his left side…the blood on Nathan's face causing anger to rise again in J.D.

"What's your name? Do you live close by?" J.D.'s continued need to protect Nathan ran strong.

"Nathan. Nathan McAlister. And no. I live on the other side of town." J.D. thought for a moment.

"Come on to my house. It's just around the block. We can clean you up there and you can call your folks."

"I don't want to be a bother…uh…"

"J.D….Parker. Can you make it? My mom's home, she can help."

"Thank you, J.D….for stepping in like that. I'm sure they weren't finished having their fun." Nathan's voice was strained from the pain but didn't seem to carry any antagonism towards the other boys. J.D. could feel Nathan trembling…just as he was.

"It's no problem…um…Nathan. You just hold on, we're almost there."

Once J.D. got Nathan inside, he called for his mother, who, seeing Nathan's condition had J.D. bring him straight to the kitchen. She wiped away the blood and cleaned the cuts. When J.D. told her he might have broken a rib, she had Nathan take off his shirt to check.

When J.D. saw the expanse of chest and flat stomach, he started shaking inside. He tried to look away but couldn't. Nathan looked up at him, embarrassed, causing J.D. to blush.

His mother tore long strips from an old sheet and used these to bind his ribs to help ease the pain when he moved. Nathan thanked her for her help. J.D.'s mother got them each some water and suggested Nathan call his family.

"How…uh…how ya feeling?" J.D. could only stammer out the words.

Nathan, putting his shirt back on, turned his eyes up to J.D., "Where did you learn to fight like that?" Nathan asked.

"I been boxing for awhile now," J.D. said embarrassed.

"You were really good. I've never seen someone move so fast." Nathan was looking directly at J.D. who blushed again at the compliment. He lowered his head to look at his feet. Nathan saw this.

"I want you to know how much I appreciate what you did, J.D. No one's ever really stood up for me like that before." Nathan kept looking at J.D. and J.D. kept blushing.

"Well, it ain't nothin', Nathan…"

"I won't forget it, J.D., what you did for me today." Nathan reached his hand out. J.D. shook it feeling a shock run through him at the contact, once again that awareness that these hands were supposed to be together. Nathan looked away not able to contain his feelings as he looked at J.D.

Nathan called his parents to let them know where he was and what had happened. His father showed up a little later. J.D. noticed that Nathan's father said nothing to him nor looked in his direction. They drove off in silence, Nathan sparing one last look of need at J.D. wanting only to jump from the car and run back to him.

J.D. caught himself taking an instinctive step in Nathan's direction, still feeling the need to protect him without knowing why.

J.D. sat on the steps of his porch for a long time after Nathan left, the anger and protectiveness fading, a slight trembling of desire? need? hope? running through his body…still trying to figure out what had just happened…why he should feel that he knew Nathan so intensely.

J.D. knew that he felt something for other guys. Wasn't sure what but he knew he liked hanging around with 'em. There had been those few times with his friend Fred long ago…a little contact…a little exploring. He'd like what they had done but nothing had happened with anyone since then.

He knew that there was more to his high school wrestling classes with the boys than winning…there was the contact and sweaty bodies... But he kept these thoughts and feelings down. He had dated a couple of girls but never felt comfortable, couldn't relate to them and always felt awkward never knowing what to say or how to act. This didn't happen when he was with his friends.

J.D. couldn't figure out these feelings that rose when he saw Nathan but they were too strong to forget either. All he could see as he walked back inside was Nathan lying on the ground, blood on his chin. All he could feel was that he knew this man as he knew no other, that it was for him to protect Nathan, that Nathan should never have to hurt again.