22nd September 1978, Texas Town Train Station

Bobby sat alone on the train station with his 2 suitcases beside him. The police officer who was escorting him to Lighting Flat Train station had gone off to the toilet. It was only a week ago that he had been told that he was going to live with his father and his father's friend, out at Lighting Flat on a ranch. He hadn't seen his father since 1970, when he had left to live there. His Mummy had wanted him to go over the summer holidays, just as planned before his Daddy left, but L.D (he had never been able to call him granddad) had other plans. Summer School. Every single summer since he had started school, he was forced to take extra classes over summer. He now hated school, and anything to do with it. Maybe his Daddy wouldn't be so strict about it, and wouldn't make him go.
A hand on his shoulder made him jump, he had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't heard or seen the train pull in at the station.
"Time to go son." The police officer smiled nicely at him. At only 18, Kurt was fresh from the police training academy, and was to be posted at the Lighting Flat Police Station, which was the reason why he was traveling with Bobby.
They quickly boarded the train and Kurt found them their seats. About an hour in the trip, Bobby pulled out of his bag a package of photos and began to shuffle through them.
Kurt smiled, "Mind if I have a look son?" Bobby smiled shyly, and handed them over. Kurt looked through them, doing a double take at one photo in which there were two men, their arms around each other, smiling broadly at the camera, obviously in love. One of the men had to be Bobby's Dad. He had the same startling blue eyes and cheeky smile. He looked at Bobby and showed him the photo, asking as he did, "Who's this?"
Bobby smiled widely, He pointed to the blue eyed man, "That's my Daddy," and then pointing to the other man, "That's my Daddy's special friend, Mr. Ennis." He reached over and took the photos back, sorting through them til he found a certain one. He handed it to Kurt.
"Those be Mr. Ennis's daughters. Alma on the left and Jenny on the right." Kurt took the offered photo and studied it. They were both very pretty, Alma especially so. He would have to find out when they would be visiting, and make a routine house call to the ranch.

7 hours later.

Kurt stretched and shook Bobby awake as they pulled into the Lighting Flat Train Station. "Wake up Bobby, we've arrived."
Bobby sat up, wiping sleep from his eyes and looked around in a sleepy confusion. Then he remembered, he was about to see his Daddy! Then he hesitated, suppose his Daddy didn't want him around, and was only taking him because he had to. Maybe he would belt him like L.D had done sometimes.
Kurt looked at him, "Common son, it'll be fine. I'm sure Jack and Mr. Ennis will be mighty pleased to see you."
He held out his hand and Bobby slid his into it and they walked off the train together.
Jack gripped Ennis's hand tightly. What if his son didn't recognize him? Ennis put an arm around him and held him tight, glaring at the people who stared in horror at them.
Acting on impulse, he kissed Jack's head and told him it would be okay.
A police officer stopped in front of them, "Good day sirs, are you Jack Twist and Mr. Ennis?"
They nodded, Ennis's lips twitching slightly at his name, and shook the offered hand. "I'm Officer Kurt Minter. I had the liberty of traveling with your son."
Jack looked passed him, trying to see Bobby. Just then a small head poked its way around the train door, looking around nervously. A huge grin crossed Jack's face as he called out, "Bobby! Over here!"
Bobby looked at them, and Jack crouched down, opening his arms, hell, Bobby was tiny for a 10 year old! Bobby hesitated for a moment, that looked like his Daddy, in fact is was his Daddy! He broke into a run towards Jack, yelling out as he did, "DADDY!"
He fell into Jack's arms, and Jack scooped him up, holding him close. He hadn't seen Bobby since he was 2 years old, but he hadn't changed much. Just grown a little bit. He felt the tears running down his cheeks as he hugged him, feeling Bobbies little arms wrapped around him. A sniffled and took a deep breath, pulling back a little bit to look at Bobby, who's face to was streaked with tears.
"I missed you son, so much." He pulled him close again, hearing a small voice in his ear,
"I missed you to Daddy."

2 weeks after Bobby arrived at Lightning Flat Ranch and his first day of school.

Bobby cuddled deeper into the warm blankets. Maybe if he laid really still and quiet, Jack and Mr. Ennis would forget about what today was. His first day at Lighting Elementary. He would be starting in the fifth, despite all those summers spent at school, L.D had only insisted because of his 'leaning difficulty'.

A knock at the door startled him out of his daydreaming. "Up and at 'em son, you got school today!" It was Jack.

Bobby groaned and pulled the blankets over his head. He heard the door open and he burrowed further down.

Jack laughed when he saw his son, trying in vain to hide under the blankets. "Nice try Bobby, but it ain't gonna work. You're going to school and that's final!" With that, Jack pulled back the blankets, letting the cold air rush in over him.

"Daddy!" Bobby curled up against the cold. "That's not fair!"

"Bobby, life's ain't fair. Now move it, or you're going to school in your PJ's!"

The threat worked and Bobby hurriedly dressed and got ready for school. After all the mornings fuss he really didn't wanna be late for school on his first day.

"C'mon Bob!" Must be Ennis; he was the only one who called him that. "Its time to go and your grandparents wanna say goodbye."

Bobby belted out of his room and down the hall to the kitchen. "Grandma, grandpa!"

Jack's parents were sitting in the warm kitchen when Bobby came flying in. John opened up his arms and scooped up his grandson, settling him on his lap. "Looking forward to school Bobby Boy?"

Bobby shook his head. "I hate school grandpa, you know that."

"Yes I do, but I think you'll find that school here is going to be very different from school in Texas. For one, it's a lot smaller. I think you're gonna enjoy yourself."

Jack entered the kitchen, "C'mon son, time to go."

Bobby reluctantly slid off his grandpa's lap and kissed both him and his grandma goodbye.

In the truck on the way to the school, Jack noticed that Bobby was fidgety, playing with his school pack and looking around nervously. "You just nervous 'bout school son, or is there something you wanna ask me?"

"I was wondering Daddy, what if I git asked who my parents are. Can I tell 'em that I have 2 daddies?"

Jack swallowed. "If you feel that you want to son, then do it. But it has to be a personal choice, I think that it would be a good thing to have out in the open right from the start. But you make that decision."

Bobby nodded.

"Right, we're here. You remember where to go?" Bobby nodded. They had come a few days ago, Bobby and Jack, to see the school and get Bobby enrolled. Jack reached across and kissed Bobby on the head. "Have a good day son, Either myself or Ennis will pick you up at 3:30. And relax, you'll be fine."

Bobby managed a brave grin, "Love you Daddy."

"You too, son."

Bobby slid out of the truck and headed into the school, trying to get some bearings.

A voice took him by surprise. "Hey, you Bobby Twist?"

Bobby nodded.

"I'm Shane Arrot, these are my sisters, Mae, Isabelle, we all call her Izzy, Marie and twins Katherine and Elizabeth and these here are my twin brothers, Shawn and Aaron." Shane stopped for breath and Bobby counted the kids, 8 in total.

"Er Hi,"

Shane turned on the group. "Okay you've bin introduced, now scram! I've gotta take Bobby to class."

The kids scurried in all directions, leaving Bobby and Shane alone.

"Sorry, I was just gonna introduce myself, but Mom insisted that everyone got introduced. We live on the farm next to yours. Mom and Dad have been friends with Jack and Ennis since they moved here."

"Okay…cool." Bobby was at a lost at what to say, no one had ever been this friendly to him at his last school.

"You don't say much do you? Oh well, follow me; we're in the same clas.s It's okay, I'll take care of you. Say how old are you?"

"Just turned 10,"

"Jeez, Mom wasn't joking when she said you were young! I'm 11, gonna be 12 this year. Dad said I could start driving the tractors when I turned 12. Its gonna be so cool. Always wanted to do that, drive tractors that is. Tim, he's my older brother, is okay. There's only 9 of us, promise. Anyway, Tim is 16, he's bin driving the tractor since he was 12 and I wanna be just like him."

They had reached the door, and the teacher welcomed them in.

"You going to let our new student get a word in, Mister Arrot? When will you learn that not everyone likes the sound of your voice?"

Shane looked slightly ashamed. "Sorry, Mr. Wilder."

"It's okay, now go to your seat. Bobby can sit next to you."

Bobby trailed after Shane to the middle of the classroom and sat down next to him.

Mr. Wilder clapped to get the classes attention. Mr.Wilder brought the class to attention."Now as many of you have noticed, we have a new student. Bobby Twist has just moved here from Texas. Now Bobby, what was the reason for you moving here? Did your Mom or Dad get a new job out here?" The school office had been busy and short staffed the day Jack and Bobby had visited and it was obvious that word hadn't made it to Mr. Wilder about Bobby's parents.

"Come on, don't be shy now, stand up and let us know!"

Bobby swallowed hard, and stood up remembering what his Daddy had said. He decided to get it over and done with as quick as possible. "Ahh, I moved here from Texas, because my Mommy was killed in a car accident, and my Daddy was living out here on Lightning Flat Ranch, with Mr. Ennis, who is Daddy's boyfriend and Mommy had left full custody of me to Daddy, so I came out here about 2 weeks ago, to stay with Daddy." Bobby dropped back into his seat with a heavy sigh of relief.

The class had gone silent. Mr. Wilder looked at him "So let me get this straight, you have 2 Daddies, and no Mommy. Right?" Mr. Wilder's scornful face was right up close to Bobby's now.

Bobby felt the panic rise in him, and shouldn't have said anything about Mr. Ennis. "I..er..yes." Is all he got out before everything went black.