Second time

Jade clings to Dan's hands, looking over his shoulder to her father. Cold chills ran down her spine. She'd intentionally disobeyed him, and he was not happy. Him terminating Dan's job only proved to be the final blow. There was nothing worse. Her father had obviously been pushed to his limit.

A whimper sticks in her throat as Dan speaks. She knew he was trying to comfort her, but she didn't want that. She didn't want him to leave at all. But as she slid back to the floor, his hands were lost from her grasp, and she could only stand helplessly as he walked away.

"No!" Tears streamed down her face and she starts to go after Dan, but Mick's arm stops her short.

He looks down at her with a sternness never seen. "You let him go," he orders. "I'll not have someone like him working here, let alone trying to seduce my daughter."

"He wasn't trying to seduce me!" Jade almost screams. "Don't you understand anything?!"

"You listen to me," Mick barks, taking her by her shoulders. "I knew there was something about him, and now I know. How you can look past what he's done is beyond me, but whatever you've got stuck in your head, you better forget it now, because this is over. Do you understand?"


Before Dan can make it outside, Sparky suddenly steps out of the shadows, grabbing Dan's arm to stop him and turn him around. His gaze was angry, but it was not an anger towards Dan. "You leave, and you'll regret it the rest of your life," he warns quietly. "Now is not the time to run."

Taking a couple steps backward towards Mick and Jade, Sparky motions for Dan to trust him and follow. Then turning back around, he addresses his brother. "Mick, let her go."

Mick whirls around with a glare. "Stay out of this Tyler. This is none of your business."

Being called by his given name stung and Sparky almost winces. "It is too," he replies calmly, keeping his temper at bay. "These kids don't deserve this and you know it."

"He's a murderer!" Mick points in Dan's direction. "And he admitted it!"

"It was an accident!" Sparky's voice finally raises a notch. "He made a mistake! We've all made mistakes, and he paid for his dearly!"

"I don't care how it happened! He's not going to do the same to my daughter!"

"He's changed, Mick!"

"How do you know?!"

"He's served his time! He's been on the right path! Go look at his file, for crying out loud!" Sparky points to the office outside. Seeing a look of shock cross Mick's face, Sparky's own eyes widen. "You never read it, did you?"

"Of course I read his file," Mick snaps. "I read all of them."

"But you didn't know any of this."

"So he's been lying to us."

Sparky shakes his head. "I don't know what you thought you read, Mick, but all of what he told Jade is in his file. You just didn't know it."

Mick takes a step back, his eyes jumping from Dan to Jade to Sparky and back to Dan.

Jade's teary eyes are wide. "If... if you didn't know, then... then why do you hate him so much."

"I didn't hate him!" Mick throws up his arms. "But I knew there was a reason not to trust him, and now it's been proven."

Sparky crosses his arms. "Dan wasn't the one that came home drunk the other night."

Mick's gaze snaps to his brother as his anger boils. Without even thinking, he lashed out. The smack echoed in the barn as his knuckles met Sparky's mouth.

Sparky's head whips to the side, blood spurting from his lip. He manages to stay on his feet, but stays bent, staring at the floor.

Jade gives a shriek and puts her hands to her mouth, her face paling in shock. She wanted to run to Dan, but her father stood in between them.

After a horridly silent moment, Sparky straightens up. Never had he worn such a look of hurt on his face as he stares at his brother. "You're wrong, Mick... you're wrong, and you know it."

"Mick!" someone shouts from outside. "Telephone."

Mick tenses, knowing that it was probably related to Dylan. A mixture of anger and guilt formed knots in his stomach as he stared at the three sets of eyes. Gritting his teeth, he turns to leave, giving Dan one last glare as he goes. "I told you to pack up," he hisses before continuing out of the barn.

Sparky looks to Dan and shakes his head when Mick is out of earshot. "Don't you dare pack."

Jade stands trembling, so utterly confused that she doesn't even think she can move.