Title: JD's Nightmare
Author: Kathy
Email: [email protected]
Disclaimer: The Magnificent Seven and its characters are the property
of MGM, Trilogy Entertainment, and the Mirisch Corporation.
Summary: JD has nightmares, Buck wants to make it all better.
Universe: OW
Rating/Warnings: G
"Did I do that?" Chris asked, staring at Buck's black eye as he sat down to breakfast in the saloon. He'd been drinking pretty good last night and, while he didn't remember hitting Buck, the man did overstep his bounds sometimes.
Buck winced as he glanced up at his old friend, "I got between JD and a nightmare."
"Kid packs a pretty good punch," Vin drawled, eyeing the puffy bruise.
"Remind me never to wake him."
"Any idea what it was about?" Josiah asked.
"He won't say, but this ain't the first one. Sometimes he wakes up yelling," Buck sighed sadly.
"We've all seen things that would give a person bad dreams," Nathan offered.
"I suppose you're right, Nathan," Buck said ruefully.
But he couldn't help feeling JD's nightmares came from someplace older and darker than the boy's run-ins since he'd come West. Buck was a man of action, not much given to introspection, and JD's reluctance to reveal what chased him through his dreams frustrated Buck no end.
He remembered the first time he had seen JD in the bathhouse. The boy's back was striped with scars, some fairly new-looking.
"Who did this to you, boy?" Buck had asked, grabbing JD's arm. JD, looking angry and ashamed, had wrenched his arm away and told Buck to shove off. That had been nearly three months ago and JD had still not confided in him.
This evening, the five men not on duty sat in the saloon, playing a desultory game of cards. Noticing the unusual quiet, Vin glanced up to see that JD had nodded off in his chair. "Buck, you'd best take that beer from JD afore he spills it all over hisself."
Buck chuckled as he took the mug still loosely held in JD's hand.
"Ain't like JD to pass up a beer, no matter how tired he is." Setting the glass down, he placed a hand on JD's shoulder to rouse him.
"No!" JD yelled, bringing both hands up and shoving the man away from him. Buck fell from his chair. JD, waking up to see everyone staring at him, realized where he was and what he had just done. He wrapped his arms around himself and looked thoroughly miserable. "Buck, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he whispered.
Without a word, Ezra took his flask and pressed it against JD's arm.
Glancing up, JD thought he saw a glimmer of understanding in the gambler's green eyes. He reached for the flask with a trembling hand and took a deep draught.
"Thanks, Ez."
Buck shot a look at Ezra. This couldn't go on. Standing up, he put a hand under JD's elbow. "Come on," he said, guiding the dazed boy from his chair, outside the saloon, and to the rooms they shared in the boarding house. Sitting JD on his bed, Buck eased down beside him.
"You wanna tell me what that was all about?"
"I'm sorry, Buck. It was just another dream," JD mumbled, trying to twist out of the big man's grasp.
Not this time you don't, Buck thought. "Must have been some bad dream, kid," he commiserated.
JD opened his mouth � he wanted to tell. Maybe Buck could dispel the frightening images, make them stop. But unexpected tears filled JD's eyes and he couldn't speak. He just shook his head and lowered his gaze to the blanket.
"JD," Buck said, hooking a finger under the boy's chin and tilting his face up. JD flinched, but he met Buck's gaze. "Tell me, I know you remember. Keepin' it bottled up inside ain't helpin', boy. They're getting' worse."
"I can't tell you, Buck. Not anyone, not ever."
"You can tell me."
"Not this, Buck," JD whispered. "If you knew, you'd think I was awful."
"JD," Buck began, using that stern tone he saved for big brother mode, "there ain't nothin' you can tell me that will make me think any less of you."
"This will."
"Dammit, boy, don't tell me what to think." Buck blew out a frustrated breath and started over, "JD? What is it? C'mon, now, you know you can tell ol' Buck."
JD stared into Buck's eyes, looking for something � hope, help, forgiveness. He saw puzzlement, concern, love. Suddenly, JD had the odd sensation of feeling like he was floating above himself. He heard himself speaking in a voice that shook with the sheer effort of getting the words out, telling Buck about his mother's employer, "the master" as they referred to him, and the things he had done; sending JD to live in the stables where he would have easy access to the boy, pulling him from sleep to satisfy his lust, punishing JD with whippings when he fought back.
"The scars on your back � he did that?" Buck asked softly.
JD nodded, hot tears falling down his cheeks and onto Buck's arms.
Buck drew JD to him, letting the exhausted boy rest in the safe harbor of his embrace. "Why didn't you leave?" he asked gently.
JD, hearing an accusation, another indication of his shortcomings, pulled away from Buck, hurt and angry.
"He said he'd turn my mother out with no references so she'd never be able to find another place. He said she'd have to walk the streets � that was all we were good for anyway."
"JD," Buck sighed, angry at his helplessness to spare the boy any part of the pain and ugliness he had known.
"When she died, I ran away and just kept running til I landed here."
He took a deep breath. "I've never told anyone that before, Buck. That was one of the scariest things I ever done."
Buck smiled down at him, marveling at the quicksilver changes in the boy's moods. JD could go from anger to laughter quicker than anyone he knew. Well, anyone besides himself, Buck amended. "You got out, though, that's the important thing. And you're safe now. I won't ever let anyone hurt you like that again," Buck promised, holding JD close.
"I know, Buck. You're my knight in shining armor," JD laughed through his tears.
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