A/N: Sorry there was no chapter posted on Monday. My laptop became suddenly and seriously ill last Friday and I just got it back late yesterday afternoon.

June 1981 (Daniel's 15)

"Daniel, stand still and turn your head this way." Ruby's excitement was being hampered by her frustration with her son.

Daniel batted at the tassel dangling on his cheek and turned a little to the left so Ruby could take his picture. George hadn't been able to attend his high school graduation since he was off doing something for the Air Force, but Daniel really didn't mind. He was more annoyed that Ruby had insisted that he participate in this tortuous rite of passage.

Daniel just wanted to go home and take off the ridiculous cap and gown. The valedictorian medallion hanging around his neck was annoying and he wasn't even going to think about the sanity of the idiot who invented the honors chords that tried to choke him during his speech.

"Are you done yet, Ruby? I really just want..."

"Daniel! I'm so glad I found you before you took off."

Daniel turned to his left and waited for Amy and her father to come over to him.

"Mrs. Hammond. Congratulations on Daniel's graduation." Mr. Whitmore shook Ruby's hand and patted Daniel on the back with his other.

"Did Mrs. Whitmore come with you?" Ruby glanced over his shoulder looking for Amy's mother.

"No, she's home with the twins. They're teething, running a bit of a fever, and keeping her up all night."

"Well, they'll outgrow it. But then something else will come along to disrupt your sleep. I'm convinced that parents never sleep until the youngest is safely out of the nest."

Mr. Whitmore chuckled, "You got that right!" He turned to watch his daughter holding hands with Daniel. "It won't be long before she's out of high school and off to college."

"Daniel still has two years to finish at Columbia before he goes to UCLA for his Master's degrees. Then he plans to go to Chicago for his PhD's. He's planning to be done with two PhD's by the time he's twenty-four. So young," she said wistfully.

"He's a fine young man. I'm very glad Amy has him for a best friend."

Ruby snickered, "Look at the two of them. You might have to upgrade 'best friend' to boyfriend sometime soon."

Mr. Whitmore watched them holding hands, heads bowed toward each other as they talked quietly in the room full of boisterous teenagers and their families. "I'm just grateful she picked Daniel and not some hardcore punk rocker with green hair. Of course, she'll never see the outside of a person, just their character and I guess that's a good thing."

"Amy's been Daniel's rock since he was nine years old. I can't imagine what would have become of him without her while we were overseas." Ruby gazed in fondness at the teenaged couple, who appeared oblivious to the world.

"Amy, I'm really glad your parents are letting you break the "no dating until you're sixteen" rule for tonight. Grad night without you wouldn't be any fun at all." Daniel pulled her closer to him so they could hear each other in the din of the convention center hall.

"Yeah. My first date," Amy sounded repulsed, "with my best friend. Big deal!"

"Amy! Fine," Daniel muttered and began walking way, "I won't put you through the humiliation."

Amy giggled and pulled him back. "Daniel. Just teasing. Don't be so darned sensitive. It's a wonder you've made it though six years of knowing me and still you don't know when you're being teased."

"Sorry. I guess it comes from not have any older brothers to harass me." Daniel laughed. "Come on. Let's have your dad get your stuff for tonight. Mine's already in the boys' room."

Several hours later, Daniel and Amy sat talking with a small group of friends while a few of the kids danced. Some of the students had sighted partners and those young people were kind of in charge of watching out for dance floor crashes.

"Daniel, we've got to dance at least once. A slow one. Pleeaaase." Amy whined at him. "I'll be your best friend."

"You already are! You must have something better to offer." Daniel folded his arms across his chest and waited for Amy to begin bargaining.

"Um, let's see. Oh, I know! I'll help you clean your room." That was her least favorite chore at home.

"My room's always clean. That's the only way I can ever find anything. Try again."

"Let me see… How about I come over for dinner and you can sneak all your Brussels sprouts to me and I'll eat them." She knew he hated those nasty little green things.

"Getting closer. What else ya got?"

Amy sat still for a minute and Daniel thought that she was out of ideas, but he felt her suddenly sit up straight and he knew she had it.

"I can get you into the Public Library's closed collection. My father has a friend who works in that department. They just received a huge donation of books from a collector who died, and his focus was Ancient Middle Eastern history. They should have some great old books for you to drool all over. He might even let you help sort them out." Amy knew she had him with this one.

Daniel moaned, "Okay, you found my Achilles' heal. I'll dance with you. One dance and it has to be a slow one. I'm not about to give these people any more reason to tease me than they already have."

Amy waited patiently until she heard the starting notes of "Endless Love" being played. Daniel groaned, he hated the sappy song, but he'd promised. Amy grabbed his hand and someone guided them out to an empty spot on the dance floor. She curled one hand behind his neck and held the other out to the side.

In all their years as friends, Daniel had never held her as closely as he did now. They'd shared a few quick hugs and pecks on the cheek, Amy was a physically affectionate person and Daniel loved the attention, but it had always remained casual.

Suddenly, Daniel became acutely aware of his heartbeat. He'd never noticed how loud it was before. He wondered if Amy could hear it. He unconsciously pulled her closer, until the space between them vanished. He could feel her warm breath on his neck as she laid her head on to his shoulder. Her own unique scent mixed with her strawberry shampoo awoke something in him.

He pulled himself back to put some space between them, embarrassed at the reaction his body was having to her. She drew him closer again and began to hum along with the song. The vibrations of her humming ran straight through his body like a crashing wave.

He stopped moving. "Amy, we need to stop."

"Why? This is so nice. I'm really enjoying this." She tried to get him dancing again. "Come on, the song will be over in a minute. You promised me one dance and I want the whole dance."

He sighed and started the slow, rhythmic movement again, knowing he'd be sorry he did. She slid her hand from behind his neck to his face.

"I want to see what you're feeling right now."

Oh, no you don't! He almost choked on his own thought.

Her fingers began gliding gently across his cheek and over to his mouth. The feathery touch of her fingers over his lips almost did him in. He wanted to kiss her fingers and slowly work his way up her arm from there. He sucked in a deep breath and allowed her to continue her exploration. Latin declensions! Homo, hominis, hominí, …

"Daniel, are you all right?"

NO! I can't think. Blood supply's gone south! "I'm fine."

The song ended, to Daniel's great relief. He took her hand and led her back to the table they shared with his friends.

"Daniel, what is the matter with you? Are you mad at me?" Amy knew he wasn't acting normally, but had no idea why he was suddenly so withdrawn.

"I'm not mad. I just need to, um, go to the …" Daniel trailed off into silence, having no idea how to get away from her for a few minutes.

"Good grief, Jackson. If you've got to go pee, just say so. Don't be such a prude."

"Yeah. Okay. Back in a few minutes." Daniel took off so quickly, he forgot which way the bathrooms were and got himself turned around. Fortunatelyone of the chaperones headed him off in the right direction.

Daniel slammed the stall door shut and locked it. He desperately wanted to pace, but there was no room, so he settled for wrapping his arms around himself and rocking. He'd never had a reaction like that before to Amy and he tried to unscramble the thoughts and emotions that were tangled in his brain.

He trusted Amy completely and had shared almost all his thoughts with her for the past six years – except about… How pathetic am I? I can't even say the word in my own head. How am I ever going to face her again? She'll know what I was thinking and she'll hate me for it. She'll be afraid of me, wondering if I'm going to jump her at the drop of a hat.

Eventually calmed down, he headed back to the ballroom. He found the table and sat himself as quietly as possible next to Amy.

"Daniel, we need to talk. Let's find some place a little quieter."

The last thing Daniel wanted right now was to be alone with her. "I'm fine. Do you want some more punch?" He tried to change the subject, but knew that once she had her teeth into something she'd never let go.

"No, thanks, and stop trying to change the subject. We're going to talk. Come on." She captured his hand and began dragging him away from the dance area. A chaperone noticed them and came over. Amy asked if there was somewhere quieter where they could talk and the chaperone led them to a patio.

"There's another chaperone near the door who'll help you find your way back when you're ready."

Daniel was glad that neither of them were Amy's dad. He swallowed convulsively.

He leaned against the pillar at the boarder of the patio, head ducked and arms wrapped around himself. He couldn't remember a time when he'd been more uncomfortable with her.

"Spill it, Jackson. What's up?"

She didn't just say that, did she? He didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but he sure couldn't say anything right now.

"Is this about the dance? I'm not stupid, you know. My mother's discussed the facts of life with me and a male's physical reaction."

Daniel could feel the heat rising under his skin from his chest to the top of his head.

"I'm not angry. I felt it too."

Daniel groaned, "How could you miss it? I felt like the Washington Monument was dancing between us."

Amy just stood for a moment and finally dissolved in gales of laughter. "Little ambitious, are you?" she choked out when she could speak again.

Daniel grinned and joined her laughter. She had always been able to drag him out of his somber moods. "Well, that's what it felt like to me."

Amy lost it completely and sank to the cement floor in uncontrollable fits of laughter. "God, Jackson, I think I just peed my panties a bit."

She eventually got control, again, and stood up next to him. "You are the only person I know who can read ancient pornography without a thought and then be embarrassed in front of your best friend. You really are weird."

"I wasn't thinking of you as my best friend at that moment. Friendship was the last thing on my mind." He pushed the hair off his forehead. "Amy, you don't know what I wanted to do to you back there."

Her fingers found his hand on his chest and they began tracing circles on the back of his hand. "Yes I do," she whispered. "Because I felt the same way. I still do."

He dropped his arms in shock and she stepped closer.

"Do I have to ask or are you finally going to kiss me?"

Daniel could feel her head turn upward toward his face and he lowered his head to meet her half way.