Anonymous, thanks for commenting. I see I'm not the only one who thinks Ben would've had a hunch but just curious as to why you think Dr. Franklin would've known they'd marry?

Anyway hope y'all enjoy this chapter as I of course own nothing.

Chapter 2

"Well, it seems we have the morning to ourselves." Sarah smiled as she cleated their empty plates from the table "James has, not surprisingly, decided to go with Henry to get the supplies for the shop."

"Boy needs something to keep him busy." Ben stated with a smile "For the time you're caring for Sally and preparing for that little one... I admit I'd never sent James that last letter if I'd known he'd uproot you two and leave his own shop for the time being... because of me."

Looking to Ben with surprise and uncertainty as she herself sat down as she took both his hands "Because of you?" she repeated, questioning Ben's words, a tinge of sadness to her own voice as she looked to him "Dr. Franklin, James truthfully felt guilty for leaving the Gazette to begin with... both of us did. He's fairly successful in New York but he talked much about returning one day, if nothing else... make sure you were proud of him and..."

"He feels an obligation to me similar to that of a son to his father?" Ben finished with a sigh "I discouraged him from coming back due to that very reason because I didn't want my failing health to interfere with him establishing his own newspaper but now I realize that the truth probably is the opposite. I don't know how much longer... I just want to make sure James knows just how I feel about him... how proud I am."

"Dr. Franklin," Sarah whispered,squeezing his hand "neither of us want our fathers to not be cared for and you being the closest that James has to a father we both agreed we couldn't abandon you... even if you do have Henry... I'm not sure you realize just how much an impact your presence has had on James since he started working for you."

Looking down, Ben sighed as he took off his bifocals, rubbing the heel of his palm over his eyes, hoping the action hid his tears "Yes, you're right." he whispered, shaking his head, struggling to put the words together in his mind that he wanted to say when he was surprised by Sally gently laying her hand on his wrist, a thoughtful expression on her face as she looked at him.

"Dr. Franklin uhh... Ben, do you remember when my father first came to work for you?" she hesitantly asked, hoping this might, if not cheer the older man, it would at least take his mind off his current conversation, which seemed to upset him.

"Sally..." Sarah gasped, beginning to scold her daughter as Ben shook his head, dismissing her concerns.

"It's fine, Sarah." he whispered, not wanting her to get riled up "Why don't you go wash the dishes while I sit here with Sally and give her the answer to what she's asked me."

Hesitantly Sarah nodded and headed off to do what needed to be done.

"Now your father." Ben smiled, groaning as quietly as he possibly could, his hand pushing off the table while he shifted in his chair so he could better look to Sally as he continued "I was I believe sixty at the time though I could be off a a year. Your father was just about to turn seven or had just turned seven. It was a quiet night, very little out of the ordinary as I worked late one night towards the end of January, the cold having just begun to get to me, I having not noticed the fire had all but burn out, my only source of light being a lantern when..."

"Finally, I have the last of these pamphlets done." Ben stated with a sigh, only then realizing how tired he was as he laid the last one down, his eyes going to the window causing him to stop, realizing he saw something. Picking up the lantern, walking towards it, he realized a boy stood there. "What could he be doing?" Ben whispered to himself just as the boy ducked, this giving Ben enough time to notice the rain that came down outside. Th next moment Ben rushed the few steps to the door, peeking outside, knowing he needed to get the boy inside.

Looking up from where he cowered by the window, James looked up, his eyes filled with fear as he coughed "Do you know Where I can find Benjamin Franklin?" he wheezed, his voice barely loud enough to be heard over the pouring rain.

"Yes, Because I'm Ben Franklin." he replied as he grabbed the boy's shirt, scooping him into his arms before he could decide to run. As he closed the door he shivered slightly himself, his back and arms now wet from the rain.

"I've been looking for you." James whispered before erupting into a small fit of coughs "I'm an orphan... I want to learn from you."

Looking dumbfounded by the boy's statement, Ben knelt, wincing slightly at his aching knees as laid a hand on each of the boy's shoulders "Who are you? Why are you out looking for me on this freezing night?" he whispered, looking into the boy's red eyes, reaching up to wipe the boy's wet hair out of his eyes, mentally taking note of how warm the boy felt despite the cold.

"James... I've been told my parents last name was Hiller. They died when our house burned in a lightning storm so I never knew them... why I want to work for you." he whispered, averting the older man's eyes as he looked down as tears began to trickle down his cheeks.

"So you have no home then?" Ben gently asked, his gentle grey eyes becoming more tender at the unfortunate situation this boy had been put in.

James merely shook his head.

"Son, I want you to stay here... I'll care for you and once you're well you can help me around the shop... I'll help you succeed however I can." he whispered.

As he carried James upstairs, Ben felt his brain suddenly become overwhelmed by the thoughts that bombarded him, as he climbed the stairs to the top floor he struggled to keep his mind off his fears.

Once he reached his room, Ben sighed, laying James down on his bed, motioning for him to stay still as he walked a few feet to grab one of his shirts, knowing for the time it would be fine as bedclothes for the boy.

As Ben helped him out of his wet clothes and buttoned the dry shirt, James was surprised by how gentle the man did this while he whispered reassurances "You sure I'll be alright?" he whispered, watching the older man, wondering why he saw the need to care for him when no one else had ever cared save for his deceased parents.

The boy's question tugging at his heart, Ben, now in his own bed clothes, laid aside the boy's wet clothes to dry before he sat down on the bed, laying a hand on the boy's forehead for a moment before pulling the quilt up, tucking it around James "Yes, you'll be fine. Tomorrow I will make sure you have a new shirt and pants... I assume that's all you own?" he gently asked as the boy curled his trembling hands around the edge of the quilt.

Nervously James nodded "it's fine, I only need what I have." he whispered, embarrassed by this man's generosity.

"I'm glad you appreciate what little you have but what if you need another pair of pants or you, in my business, get ink all over your shirt?" Ben asked.

Realizing this man had a point James slowly nodded "You're right."

"Good, now let's get some sleep, if you feel better tomorrow I'll show you what will be your room." Ben stated with a smile as he blew out his lantern before joining James under the quilt, both of them now nice and warm as they drifted off to sleep.

"And as I promised, I did get him the things I thought he needed but it wasn't easy, I myself feared for your father's future, wondering if I'd live long enough to not only care for him but the more I worked with your father, teaching him math and reading and writing while we weren't working on the paper, the more I not only wanted him to succeed but I knew for both our sakes I needed someone to share running the paper with someone, if only so I'd know your father would have one of us no matter what... As your parents have told you, the years I was in England and France."

"Is that how Moses came to work for you?" Sally asked.

Smiling, Ben nodded "Why don't we head downstairs and see what's going on?" he suggested, grabbing his cane that leaned against the table, his face once again holding a pained expression as he used both his cane and the table to stand, something that left Sally slightly concerned for the elderly man.

Following Ben down the stairs, Sally couldn't help worrying, remembering the stories she'd been told, one in particular scared her the most, a tale of when he was still in congress, he was in so much pain her mother could only lay a hand on his shoulder as he knelt one knee on the wooden floor of independence hall while her father went to get Moses, as Ben looked to her mother his only response being "I'm fine, it's the country I'm worried about."

As she continued to follow Ben, lost in her thoughts, Sally was ready to give a sigh of relief when Ben, just as he only had three more steps to go, slipped, leaving Sally horrified as he crashed to the floor of the printshop.

"Sally?" Ben whispered, guilt overtaking him at the horror on the girl's face.

"Grandpa Ben..." she gasped, kneeling at his side as he sat up "are you alright?"

Attempting to hide the pain he felt shooting through his left leg, Ben nodded "I just need your Papa and Henry to help me to my chair." he gasped.

"Hesitantly she nodded "Where are papa and Henry?" she questioned, just as she heard a gasp of surprise, knowing it could only be her mother.

"Ben!" Sarah gasped as she knelt, hoping the boys returned soon as she, though she knew they'd gone to get supplies for the shop couldn't truthfully say she knew where they were.

"Sarah? Dr. Franklin?" James whispered as he brought dinner up to two of the most important people in his life.

"James, Sally alright? I know I scared her so much." Ben sighed, happily taking what James had given him.

"What happened?" James asked, concern in his eyes that never left Ben as he laid both hands on Sarah's shoulders.

"I have no idea." Ben sighed "Sally and I were headed downstairs to wait for you and Henry to come back and... it just happened."

Understanding, James merely nodded "Sally's mostly just upset that you're hurt... she loves you so much."

Shaking his head, Ben sighed, yet again blinking back more tears of frustration "I know she does, what scared me so much about taking you in all those years ago. I had considered letting a younger couple take you. Like me they were in the printing business but by the time you were well enough... I realized I just couldn't. I realized if I sent you to live with that couple, I'd only be one more person who had let you down."

"I'm glad you didn't." James replied, a sad smile coming over him as he remembered those long ago days "I didn't always want to do schoolwork but you encouraged me, reminded me how much easier my life would be knowing math and reading and writing."

"You caught on to math much better than I did." Ben stated with a smile when he saw a pair of eyes looking towards him from the doorway "You can come in Sally, your father and I are just reminiscing about his younger days."

"You feel any better?" Sally hesitantly asked as she walked across the room to Ben's side, her eyes full of guilt though she had done nothing wrong herself.

"Still in a little pain but it's normal,you can't expect an eighty-two year old man to be pain free." Ben replied, smiling slightly at Sally's reaction, unsure exactly what she was confused about despite the fact he was sure she couldn't understand how he could laugh so much at his own pain.

"Your ankle?" Sally questioned as she wrapped an arm around him.

"I'm sure I won't be up and about for a few days." Ben replied, briefly glancing towards Sarah and James.

"No, don't guess so." Sarah sighed, her eyes heavy as she smiled sadly.

"James, this morning I told Sally how I found you, how about telling me how you found her." Ben suggested, wanting to change the topic to be anything but him and his still painful ankle.

"I suppose I did promise you that didn't I?" James sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as his eyes shifted nervously.

"James?" Ben whispered, seeing just how uncomfortable this subject had made his old apprentice "What's wrong, son?" His grey eyes filled with uncertainty and a slight guilt when James finally replied with a slight hesitation.

"It has nothing to do with Sally but more so what was going on around the time I found her." James replied, suddenly feeling a bit of strength come over him as Sarah reached up, covering one of his hands with her own "Well, maybe a little... I was on a journey to meet the new leader of New York, interview him on plans for the government since, to my knowledge, the tories were gone. I had stopped briefly to water my horse when I heard a scream. Once I made my way through the bushes I stopped, only for a moment realizing what the two men I saw were doing, the next moment something came over me, even at the time all I remember is a few moments later the two men were on the ground, Sally curled into a ball against a tree. I knelt in front of her, cutting a piece out of the only apple I had left, seeing that she needed it much more than I. Sally was hesitant but soon willingly took it once her stomach growled loudly. In a scared whisper she told me what had happened to her the past few days she'd wandered the woods, the men who had attacked her parents and... what the two men had said and tried to do to her before I showed up."

At this, James knelt on the floor where Sally huddled in a corner beside the wardrobe, her face already red with embarrassment as he wrapped both arms around her "You alright with me telling this or you want me to stop?" he whispered having only meant to let the others know how serious her situation had been "I'm sorry I upset you."

"I know, Papa, you can tell it." Sally whispered, the fact clear she still wasn't used to being given options despite the fact James treated her just as any other doting father would.

"Well," James hesitantly continued "I suppose it's no surprise she didn't struggle when I lifted her onto my horse, the two of us riding to the capital together. On the way I explained about what I was doing with the newspaper, the fact she seemed interested in what I had to say slightly surprising though I didn't know what else to say. Once we got to the capital building, I talked with the leader about what had happened to Sally and he agreed something had to be done to at least patrol the more rural areas in case of another possible tory attack." now James himself couldn't speak past the emotional lump in his throat as he looked to Sarah knowing she'd continue the story better than he could.

"But things slowly began to change once James brought her back to his shop." Sarah sighed, a sad smile on her lips as she thought about the fact she prayed every night that her own children would never be put in a position where Sally was. "I had gone to the shop that morning, hoping I could surprise James that night with dinner, what both of us were greeted with neither of us had anticipated."