Hmm, not sure what was trying to do with Ham's rather sweet obliviousness to the Kate/Finn thing worked at all. Anyway, The End. Hurray! Thank you all again for all the comments - :)

"Yes. You have to get over here, please.. To talk, to sort things out. ..'K." Ham dropped his cell phone on his bed and looked over at the door. Will, who he'd heard being shepherded into the house a few minutes ago, was hovering there. Will looked nervous. "Hey," Ham said to him.

Will ducked his head. "Your mom sent -"

Ham nodded. Obviously mom had decided Will was staying over. Will's arms were full of blankets. He went over to take them.

Will flinched.

"We don't have a guest room; it got converted" Ham said. His mom used it to paint in. It stank of paint and it was cluttered, mostly with art equipment, but he also kept his weights there. He twitched the bundle of bedding away from Will. "I'll make a nest out of this. You'd better take the bed."

Will relaxed, but not by much.

Ham couldn't tell whether Will was embarrassed Ham had seen him hurt, or afraid of Ham (which made No Sense, but then he was startling at sudden noises, and staring all round himself 360 degrees, and eyes that bloodshot should be closed. On the bloodshot eyes front, Eww, as Jake would say.) Or, in view of Ham's reputation, he could be worried about being cruised. Ham grimly set about untangling blankets. Today had sucked; he wanted it over. He considered moving himself to Mom's painting room.

"Was that Jake on the phone?"

Ham glanced up. "No."

Will hadn't moved any further into the room. "Aren't you going to say anything?" he said disbelievingly.

Ham's heart sank. "You want to talk." All he wanted was to go to sleep and hope for a better tomorrow. He was drained. This was typical of Will Krudsky, big speeches at the moment when Ham so totally didn't need it.

"No - I mean - "

Reluctantly, Ham asked "You all right? Mom took care of you."

"Well, it was mostly Finn. Finn's great." Will went off on a big long speech about the awesomeness that was Finn. Will was prone to big long speeches. And Ham could see that Will was all big Yay for Finn, and he got that, but he wasn't all up to join in. And now Will was on a riff about Finn As The Perfect Dad, and, no. Finn had the Lionel Luthor hair for starters which was not a good omen. And that was before you even got started on his tendency to profound monologues. Really, no. Ham had a dad. Finn might be a step up from Mr Krudsky - all right, Ham admitted, he was a step up. For himself, Ham preferred what he had.

So, OK, Finn was great. If you weren't Hamilton Fleming. Ham grunted, and started rummaging for old clothes to sleep in. It was likely Will hadn't brought anything. You want-?" He pulled out an old pair of sweatpants. The legs would reach to midcalf on Will but neither of them were models.

"Uh, thanks." However, Will wouldn't leave the subject of Finn alone. "He's so cool. I wish you knew him better."

Ham wasn't having that. "I've known him for years."

"Yeah, he's a friend of your Mom." Will forged on like Ham needed to know this stuff. As if. "You don't know him like I know him. He's been more like a dad than my father has."

Ham was uncomfortable with what to say to that. See, this was why he'd wanted not to start this conversation. "He's been okay to you." Even to himself, it sounded grudging.

"Better than okay. He'd be a great dad, or stepdad, or something."

Ham saw his own face in the mirror; it was confused. So, Will was plotting for Mrs Krudsky to get together with Finn? That would be kind of a Disney kids' film plan. "I don't see it." He didn't want to snub Krudsky or anything, but he wanted to head this dumb idea off at the pass. I don't see it, was Ham-speak for No! No! and did I say? No!!

Will didn't get Ham-speak. He said, "What?"

"Finn and your mom as an item. It's just, I've never seen them meet, even." Remembering a Shakespeare lecture of Finn's, he thought, if life were a play Finn and Mrs K could be played by the same actor. Or had Jake told him about double parts for actors? Jake grew up around the stage, his - no, her - mom was an actress. Ham had even met Ms Pratt, now that he came to remember.

After all Jake's whining, he had been surprised he could stand Monica Pratt. If he hadn't known how much she'd hurt his best friend, he'd've called her pretty cool. She was interested in him, in his photos, and she offered to use her contacts for him. She'd been all, like, "we artists have to stick together." He'd dropped his head then, and looked at Jake through his lashes. She'd barely started being his girlfriend then; he couldn't keep his eyes off her. She was looking up and away, over the lake. Feeling left out. He never meant to exclude her.

Looking back, he didn't think her mom meant to do that, either.

With hindsight he asked himself what he hadn't then. Why had she let them edge her out of the conversation till it was just him and Monica and, point for Jake, that damn cell phone? They slid into that so easily. From a load of things Jake said, Ham thought that might be the pattern.

Monica wasn't a bad person. She needed to be hit upside the head to make her notice. Coming to Rawley hadn't done the trick. Ham snorted. Jake once told him she agreed with Scout about Bella. Jake thought Bella should talk directly to her mom, tell her how she felt. Ham thought Jake should take her own advice. Monica needed things spelt out in small words and easy sentences. Jake's approach was way too oblique.

Spacing out, he'd semi-missed Will's "More likely, Finn and your mom." That was one sick crack.

Ham didn't let Will get to him. "I may not have seen him all weekend" he said evenly "but I have a dad."

Will shut up them, to Hamilton's extreme relief. He hit the bathroom.

When he came back, Will said "Fleming?"

"Your turn."

"Hamilton. I'm sorry, man."

He didn't answer. He was beat.

In Ham's dreams, Jake drifted down the river, the painter trailing from the boat, away from him, out of reach. Finn's voice recited "The curse has come upon me. Cried." And then, somehow, (but it was a dream) the Dean and Finn were playing chess. Ham knew the winner would get to be Dad, but the outcome was out of his hands. Krudsky was moving one step forward and two to the side, ending up next to him. "Scout's the king; we've got to protect him from everything." Ham looked down at himself. He was a pawn, no surprise there. When he looked up he was alone. Suddenly someone came rushing up to him from the far side of the board. Only a queen could make that move but he couldn't make out what colour the piece was - it wasn't a piece - it was Jake. Finn's voice: "He said, She has a lovely face. God in his mercy give her grace-"

He woke up. "Okay. Freaky dream."

"Hey, dude."

Saturday. Jake's dorm. Jake greeting him like he was still clueless. Ham felt a spasm of anger. His throat physically seized up; for a minute he was too choked to say a word.

"..Ham? You doing okay?" Jake showed a cautious concern, staying in the manly frame.

Careful, Ham thought sourly. You might break cover. "I'm cool." His voice sounded strained even to himself. "You heard about Krudsky."

"Nope." Jake wasn't much for the grapevine. Her gaze on Ham was unwavering.

Ham shifted under it. For his part, he moved restlessly around the room, picking things up and putting them down. Aside from Jake's computer and the cables that went with it, there wasn't much loose. There were a couple of lengths of hawser. Jake had been practising knots again. There were some she couldn't get the trick of. She blamed it on coming from Manhatten. Ham had grown up by this lake. He kept meaning to show her this stuff.

He could have come over for that knot lesson today. He liked Jake-his-best-friend. Threatening the status quo pissed him off.

He looked the room over. It was pretty much pared down to the bare bones of furnishings supplied by the school. Ham leaned on the end of the bed and stared at the closet door. Jake had four dresses and funky shoes to match in there. He hadn't seen them in over a month.

The silent and scowling routine got old for Jake fast. "Ham" she said in her briskest coxswain manner.

Ham flicked a sidelong eye at her. Now he knew who she was, looking at her was like that optical illusion - the silhouette that was a candlestick or two profiles depending on whether you focussed on white or black. Weirdly, she looked simultaneously boyish and girly. Either was hot by him.

"Ham, if you've got no reason to be here, uh, I was heading out anyhow."

Oh, yes, the illegal bike. Ham just looked at her. Jake had never left him alone in her room since the accident. She didn't want him finding anything incriminating. "You gonna throw me out? He looked her up and down. There was no way she could overpower him with muscle. No, she had to use headgames for that.

Jake, angry, demanded "Ham, man, what's up?"

"Jake, man, I phoned my dad." (She owed him.) "Last night."

Jake governed her face but she breathed quicker. "Uh huh." She swiped her palms along her pants legs.

He was making her sweat. Fine. And, did he mention, she owed him. He felt like a puppet. He was good and mad about this manipulation shit. He caught the air of strain about her. He felt mean. "I phoned him about Krudsky."

"What about Krudsky?"

"His dad hurt him last night. Sean called, and I brought my mom and Finn over."

"Your mom and Finn" Jake repeated.

Odd response, thought Ham. "Yeah. I asked Dad to come back early."

"Uh huh." (But she hated the Dean being around.) "Is Will okay?"

Jake was always more relaxed when the Dean was away. It must suck to put on an act 24/7. "Yeah." Ham shrugged. He didn't need to pursue this; Jake was always strikingly uninterested in gossip. She never asked personal questions, she discouraged return queries. She wasn't uninterested. When Ham volunteered stuff, she was totally non judgemental. None of the other guys knew how she could listen, and sympathize, and make it all seem manageable. Only Ham got that.

He went over to the desk at the window. He didn't want to change things. He didn't need this upheaval, and he still didn't know what to say. He picked textbooks up and put them down. Then the ropes. "Hey. How are you coming along with those knots?"

"Don't ask." Jake came over and took them from him. Her head dipped, twisting the rope into - Ham watched - an almost perfect Flemish Loop. She looked up, grinning.

"Finn hasn't taught us that one" he said.

"I found it in a book." The knot collapsed. "Damn."

"You need to tuck that end in more." He watched her sink onto the side of the bed, frowning at her hands.

"I can show you. Not from this angle. Stay right there." He scooted onto the bed behind her. He had a body memory of that cycle ride, Jake backed up against him, bracketed between his arms. It was easier not looking her in the eye. Their hands worked together tangling the rope so it held together. He rested his chin on a shoulder. Bony. He raised his head. "When were you going to tell me?" He'd given it enough thought. He was never going to think of the "right" words.

"Wh-what?" Jake's whole body galvanised.

He tightened his hold on her. She wasn't jumping up and running out on him now. He could only take so much unresolved tension. "I worked it out last night." He sounded angry. Yeah. That would be because he was angry. He had good cause.. she smelled good. He'd forgotten that smell.

"Tell you what?" Cautious.

I cannot believe this, Ham thought, but he did believe it. Jake was gonna try and spin this. How dare she. He twisted her shoulders round and kissed her messily. His lips felt sensitised, hell, all of him felt sensitised. Every nerve ending was waving and saying hello. Some nerve endings more than others, naturally. But - he couldn't think in words. His English had left for a neighbouring state. And Jake was all - Wow.

Also, minty.

"Back up Ham. What do you think you are doing?" A clipped voice.

Angry, Ham thought. His IQ might have signed off and gone to lie on a beach in St Martin, but he was pretty sure Jake knew what he was doing.

Jake had scrambled away. She was across the room now, talking fast and emphasising words. " - don't be mad at me - " was a recurring phrase in the babble. Also, " - I've got to tell you -"

"Something you have to tell me?" he suggested affably. He rearranged himself for comfort and observed "You're so cute when you yammer." He should have kissed her days ago.

Jake levelled a glare intended to torch him. "Fleming. I'm. Not. A. Boy."

This was so Some Like It Hot. If he replied, nobody's perfect, she would, in truth, kill him. "I know."

"You - what?"

"I worked it out last night." Wriggling, he pulled one of the snaps out of his back pocket. "You know, when I found these I thought for a moment you were a transvestite."

She was wide eyed, caught, on the edge of bolting. She took a step nearer the door.

His voice froze her. "Then I remembered" he said. "Everything."

Jake blushed deeply.

Now that his whole life experience was downloadable, Ham thought that last year, and Jake, had given him a lot. Keeping that secret, finding a place among the other guys, had detached him from his parents. Making the thing with Jake work (it hadn't gone smoothly) had given him confidence. He was comfortable in his own skin in a way he hadn't been when he was revving up to start school for the first time.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She still hadn't answered that. He still wanted to know. He figured she was embarrassed about the mess their lives had gotten into.

"There were a lot of downsides.." Jake was fiddling with the fall of her fringe, not looking at him. The flush hadn't entirely died on her cheeks.

He nodded. He knew.

"So, it was kind of a fresh start for you."

Sceptical, he didn't believe she had been entirely altruistic. If she wholeheartedly wanted a fresh start, she had only to leave. He wouldn't have known to stop her. If she'd wanted him at her feet, one explanation would have brought him home. (Assuming she trusted him. Ham cut that line of thinking short.) She'd left it to fate.

He knew what fate meant for him and her. "I fell in love with you a second time around" he said.

"Really?" Jake, breathless. She could get drunk on pretty speeches alone, Ham thought.

She didn't make pretty speeches so much, though, and so much had been different lately. She was so hard to read. He was forced to ask. "And you?"

She knew what he meant right away. "Ham. I never stopped loving you."

Saturday afternoon, they went out and walked the grounds. Jake thought they'd better show their faces in public. Another thing Ham had forgotten; how much it sucked to be not able to even hold hands in public.

He nodded to Johnson, and Calhoun, and Myers.

It was weird. He'd had two conversations with Jake that morning. The aloud one hadn't made much sense, but the one that had clinched their reunion had been his eyes and Jake's, saying, yes, I want you, I need you, come back, yes.

Random conversation. The crew's chances at the next meet, rumours online about a forthcoming PC game.

A car swept up the drive, too fast, and pulled to an untidy stop by the front entrance. The displaced gravel swooshed like driving through a puddle.

"Dramatic driving for your Dad" Jake said.

"Don't worry. This is about Will."

The Dean climbed out of the car. He was dressed down, Deanstyle, in an outfit based on study of lifestyle articles in People about tycoons. Dad tried to get a grip on relaxing, but was very bad at it. His head turned, looking for family.

"Gotta go. Dad needs me." Ham grinned encouragingly at Jake and jogged off.

"Where's your mother?" was the Dean's first question.

"Back home. Will slept over." Ham turned and led the way. "I think Finn's there, too."

"Finn?" His father overtook him. "That's not necessary."

The hostility in his voice was somtthing Ham had never heard before. Dad dislikes Finn, Ham thought. This was a newsflash. So, hypothetically, if Hamilton didn't like Finn, that would be cool with one parent. Ham said, "Will thinks a lot of him." Understatement. He added gloomily "Will wants to be Finn." He looked carefully at his Dad. Yep. That was definitely a look of distaste. Quiet yay.Ham was right. When they got to the house Will and Finn were standing under the crab apple trees at the end of the garden, talking. That broke up, drowned out by barking. The dogs threw themselves on Dad with gusto, like they'd been starved of everything worth having since he'd gone. Dad hung onto his dignity gamely, but still emerged with a light dusting of dog hair on his pants. Ansel was leaning blissfully against him for a backscratch when he said "Mr Krudsky? How are you?"

"I'm fine, Mr Fleming. I'm sorry-"

"You've done nothing to be sorry for" the Dean said crisply. "We'd better take this inside. (Ansel, get off me.) Ham, be on time for lunch."

"I'm always on time for meals" Ham protested mildly. He gave his Dad a one armed hug. If the dogs could molest him, why not he.

Bemused, his Dad ushered Will and Finn inside.

"What was that about?" Jake's voice. Jake had followed, and was lurking under a beech near the gate.

"Hmmm?"

"The hug. Last year you were totally working the aloof thing."

Last year he'd been trying to be cool. He thought it was manly. Now, he thought faking cool was childish. Speaking of childish, "I kind of did it at Will and Finn" he admitted.

"Huh?"

"Will sees Finn as the ideal Dad."

Jake thought that one over. Ham waited for her take on this. Her eventual statement was cautious. "Finn said it himself, you can't change your parents."

"When? ..oh, yeah." Ham speculated about raiding the kitchen. Everyone would be on the far side of the house. He wasn't hungry enough to bother. "Pier?" he suggested.

"Okay."

As he left the garden, he asked "Would you want to?"

Jake's brows drew together.

"Would you want to change your parents?" he clarified.

"Assuming it was possible." Jake had less patience than he had with hypothetical questions.

She took action, and worked out her theoretics on the hoof. Make Mom notice you! Do something crazy! Get found! Run like hell! If he hadn't clung to Jake (like a baby to a security blankie, and, OK, that wasn't his most alpha moment) she'd be clear to the far coast after the shower thing. They reacted to a crisis so differently. "If Monica was different, you'd be a different person." Ham was thinking this last part aloud. "Wow."

Beside him, Jake grinned. This was going to be one of Ham's rants. They amused her.

"- the thing you have with your Mom is, like, your formative -"

This was amusing Jake less. "Hey."

Ham said "Look, I get you wanting your Mom to notice. Remember how I used to go on about Dad?"

"Well. He notices now." Jake probably didn't realise how raw the envy was in her voice. "Impressive. It took a knock on the head to get him there."

A knock on the head, no choice. Hugging Dad even though he wasn't approachable, a calculated risk. Making a fool of himself talking about Dickens, sign of desperation. When Will volunteered for home improvement, that could be Will's equivalent of talking about Dickens. And then Will's dad went psycho, Ham thought.

Monica was neglectful, but no way ever would she throw a Mr Krudsky. Ham congratulated himself. He had the best deal in parents. Unconsciously smug, he said that if he was heard by Radio Fleming it was because he was making an effort to get through. Paying attention, opening up, finding a wavelength.

"You read too much Just Seventeen" Jake mumbled. "Just look at the pretty pictures, Ham."

"Otherwise" Ham ignored her "I'd still be a stranger in my own house. Like you."

"What?"

"I mean, you took action to get attention from your Mom."

"Didn't work."

"Well, these days you don't want that look, Jake screwed up attention. And while we're thinking how to get the right kind -"

"-we??"

"- what's mine is yours. Starting with Dad and -"

"Has he been informed he's getting an extra kid?"

"- you could join for lunch today."

Jake groaned loudly. "This is just you strategising not to get stuck with Will one on one."

True. "Is it bad that I don't want him getting intense?" He picked peeling paint off a fencepost. They were on a path that followed the line of the lake shore. "I know you avoid Dad. I get why. But I want to do this."

"You've been very son-of-the-Dean" Jake said slowly.

"Well I am. And I'm your boyfriend. Both. At least, for one lunchtime." He thought, I'll scheme a way for all the other things I want later.

END