WARNING: THIS STORY DEALS WITH RAPE. DON'T READ IF YOU DONT LIKE!

Cleaning Will up had been a challenge, Will, despite trying to be strong in front of his teacher, had broke down crying in shame when Halt had paused in shock when he glimpsed Will's battered body.

Now Halt was sitting on the edge of his bed, watching his student stumble over on still unstable legs. The pain Will was feeling was evident enough from the look on his face and Halt sighed. There were still matters to be dealt with, he still had to pay a visit to those BattleSchool apprentices. He silently mauled over what he was going to do. Confront them first, for have a talk with the Baron and Sir Rodney.

The bed dipped beside Halt and he glanced over, giving Will a mindless once over with his eyes. He was no healer but Halt knew Will would need some time to get over this, and Halt would allow him that time, even if it set them back aways.

"Will, I know this might be too soon, but I need to know their names," Halt's voice was warm as he spoke.

As those words ran through his head Will bit his lip, he knew Halt was going to ask it of him but still he couldn't help but feel sick when he thought of Alda, Bryn and Jerome. He started to shake his head but Halt interrupted his refusal.

"I don't know what they said to you, but whatever it was it isn't true. The Baron and Sir Rodney will need to know about this whether or not you want them to. I have to report this Will, so please just make it easier for me and give me their names."

Halt watched Will shrug before caving to Halt's demands, "The first one," he looked away, wiping his eyes, "Alda. The second one was named Jerome and the third one was Bryn…" The apprentice trailed off and Halt couldn't help but feel another bout of pity for the small fifteen year old.

"Thank you," Halt murmured, shutting his eyes as he started to actually plan his action against those boys, Alda, Jerome and Bryn. All of them had committed an act that deemed them criminals so Halt thought it was only fair that they were charged as criminals. Rapists.

He wasn't paying much attention to anything than his thoughts when he felt Will lean over on him, cuddling him. Halt opened his eyes and couldn't help but notice the embarrassed look on his students face.

"Will," Halt started but Will cut him off.

"I'm sorry Halt.. I… I just need someone to hug right now, I feel," he paused searching for the right word, "I feel so alone."

At those words Halt turned almost too fast for Will to see and gathered his broken apprentice in his arms, "Don't feel alone, I'm here." He murmured softly, feeling Will nod into his chest. Perhaps this was wrong but right now Halt knew Will needed the support and comfort after such an ordeal.

Will looked up at Halt's face, noting the small lines that defined him as being well seasoned and not as young as he used to be, still he believed the man couldn't be over forty-five years old, the salt and pepper hair he had hinted possibly late forties early fifties. That's a least what Will guessed. He smiled and felt somewhat at ease when Halt gave the tiniest up-turn of his lips back. "Thank you." Will replied and Halt merely nodded.

He had a lot of work to do.

Halt moved with purpose through the clearing that was semi-full of BattleSchool apprentices warming up before their morning drills started. He didn't see Horace within the group and wondered if the boy was getting ready or finishing breakfast. Some of the students gave Halt odd looks, turning to whisper to each other about how mysterious and scary Ranger's were.

Taking quick strides he reached the stairs that wound up to where the Baron would be, and if he was lucky Sir Rodney as well.

He burst through the door, not taking any time to announce his presence. The Baron stood at Halt's sudden intrusion and Sir Rodney, to Halt's grim delight, whipped around. A smile spread over Rodney's face and he stepped forward, "Halt! So good to see you, how is Will's training coming along?"

The Baron had a slight frown on his face but it left when he awaited Halt's reply.

"I'm glad you asked," Halt said curtly, his voice sounding anything but glad. "Yesterday evening I returned from some business to find Will not where he was suppose to be. I found him in the practice field where he had been practicing his bow skills."

Sir Rodney smiled, "That's all well, Halt."

"Yes very much so," the Baron added, "but why are you gracing us with your presence?"

"I'm not finished," Halt replied, "I found him unconscious in the snow. He told me that three BattleSchool apprentices approached and attacked him." Halt's eyes flickered to watch Rodney's face change suddenly.

"BattleSchool apprentices?" Sir Rodney asked, and Halt nodded. "That's hardly possible, all of them were accounted for yesterday during morning and afternoon drills."

"Well if you'd like you could take it up with Will, but I will assure you, once you see Will, if you do nothing against those three boys I will take it upon myself to punish them in a way I see fit." Halt's hand was resting steadily against his saxe knife and he hoped Rodney got his point.

The Baron noticed Halt's hand and shook his head, "I'm assuming you will be taking Rodney to your cabin then?"

"Yes." Halt said.

"Go then," he said and turned back to the papers he had on his desk.

Halt gestured for Rodney to exist first and the man did. Halt was just about to follow when the Baron's voice stopped him.

"Oh, Halt. If Rodney doesn't see it fit to punish those boys then you must promise me you will not do anything against them."

Halt turned his grim gaze on the Baron, "I don't think he will see it that way but yes, I will keep my word not to do anything to them." With that the Ranger left the room with a flourish of his cloak.

Sir Rodney couldn't believe it, yet the angry colour of deep bruises was enough to convince him that his apprentices had done this to Will and that had been before Halt had quietly told him Will had also been raped. He was furious, the damage they had caused the Ranger apprentice was mentally enough to keep any apprentice from continuing on his training. Just seeing Halt comfort the boy in front of him was proof that it was bad, the usual grim Ranger would never had gone out of his way to give Will a very faint smile if he thought the boy could handle this himself.

"Halt, Will, I am so sorry about this," he said, breaking the silence, "I cannot fathom what caused any BattleSchool apprentice to come out here just to attack a lone Ranger apprentice." Sir Rodney's face told Halt, and Will that he was embarrassed about the acts of his trusted students. Suddenly a flame was lit within his eyes and the man stood, "I need their names, I will deal with them myself."

"Alda, Jerome and Bryn." Halt provided easily but he noticed Will flinch at the names and he didn't resist when his brown eyed apprentice nuzzled close to his side.

Sir Rodney ignored the display of affection towards Halt from Will and said, "I will take my leave now. I must deal with those three."

Halt inwardly smirked, pleased with the way Rodney was fired up after seeing Will and he knew if anyone could punish those three well enough it was their own BattleSchool instructor.

"Halt?" Will's voice cut through the sudden silence like a knife, "Halt are you okay?"

The Ranger blinked and set his eyes on Will, "Yes, of course," he said trying to sound convincing.

Will nodded and Halt lifted his arm to wrap it around Will's fragile waist. His apprentice moved even closer, his frame pressed full against Halt's side. "Halt?" Will asked again, his brown eyes downcast when Halt looked.

"Yes Will?" Halt asked back, his voice still soft.

"Will you…" Will looked up at Halt's face, "Kiss me?"

With a few seconds of hesitation Halt gathered Will onto his lap and leaned up as Will leaned down from his elevated position. Their lips met and Will smiled into it, feeling Halt's rough growing-in-stubble on his face as the older Ranger took the lead. But it ended too soon when Halt pulled away and Will looked at his mentor with worried eyes.

Halt lifted a hand and cradled Will's face, "Don't look so worried, I am honoured you chose me, of all people, really Will but our positions aren't exactly good. Someone could mistake this for something that it isn't. And I can't have that. You have already been put through enough grief."

Will sighed, wrapping his arms around Halt's neck, hugging him as he replied, "Please Halt," Will uttered, his breath so hot against Halt's ear that the Ranger had to keep himself from shivering.

As if in reply Halt put his hand on Will's back, right between the shoulder blades and pulled Will right against him. "No one can know Will, if someone finds out they'll assume i am taking advantage of you. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Will murmured, smiling the tiniest bit as Halt placed a small kiss on his semi-exposed shoulder then almost lazily trailed them to his neck.

"Ha.." he gasped softly, enjoying Halt's soft kisses. The Ranger stopped though and Will nuzzled his face against Halt's neck, clearly happy enough just being held by the other.

Halt silently wondered what he was going to do, sure he had had urges before, like when he had been training Gilan but that wasn't now. His current apprentice had been attacked and raped less than a day ago and yet he was accepting Will's sudden, and most likely, confused feelings towards him.

The Ranger inwardly sighed as he subconsciously traced circles on Will's bruised back. Could he provide the security Will was obviously looking for?

Halt wasn't sure.

A/N: I don't know what to say about this chapter. I tried and yes there should be another chapter (hopefully I can write it) so yeah.. Erm.. I simply adore Will/Halt so yeaah XD it's what this story was coming down to anyway, or what it was going to come down to XD So I just sort of ignited the flame for it. Or something like that.

THANK YOU FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO REVIEWED AND HOPEFULLY THE THIRD CHAPTER COMES OUT SOON... heck hopefully you guys didn't mind this chapter

I promise some Alda, Bryn and Jerome butt-kicking in the next (:

Please review!

No flames though (this IS my first Ranger's Apprentice story!).

Ps: There might be mistakes, I was too lazy to re-read it and go over it so ignore those mistakes if any =D