Disclaimer and apologies: Wherever possible I have tried to make this fic as historically accurate as I can with regards to the events, politics and policies of the time. (Believe me I *have* done my research on this one. *g*)

But, I have at times, massaged the timelines slightly in order to make for a more dramatic read. Please don't e-mail me and tell me that I have my facts wrong - it is called artistic licence.

Lastly, I realise that the setting might be a bit emotive for some people for which I *do* apologise but ultimately it is there as a plot device and a backdrop to the story and it is not my intention to cause offence to anyone.

‘Well I came upon a child of God, he was walking along the road…’

The sun was well into setting mode, expansively cloaking the late July evening sky in fiery reds and oranges, as a lone figure rode the dark crashing surf into the shore. Wiping out, he emerged from the ocean and grabbing hold of his board made his way up the beach to where a towel and T-shirt lay.

A little way further up another solitary figure was sat. Mesmerised by the sun’s descent, he held a somewhat battered guitar balanced precariously on his crossed legged lap and was quietly strumming random chords, stopping every now and again to scribble something in the notebook that lay open in front of him.

The surfer paid little attention to him as he quickly unzipped his wet suit to the waist and started to rub the towel over his sandy blond hair and well toned torso.

Pulling on his t-shirt, he picked up his board and made to leave.

He couldn’t help but smile as he walked past the guitar player, his mouth curling up into a wry grin as he heard what the other man was softly singing.

‘…the answer my friend is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind…’

Daniel shook his head. Another Dylan wannabe. It seemed that San Francisco in the summer of ’69 was full of them.

The young man smiled shyly up at him as he passed. Daniel giving him a brief up-nod before continuing up to where he had parked.

As the sun disappeared so the clouds formed and Daniel was just finishing strapping his board onto the roof of his trusty old VW van when the first drops of rain fell.

Bending down briefly to retrieve his keys from their hiding place tucked in the exhaust, he opened the sliding side door, shrugged off the remainder of his suit and pulled on a pair of faded blue jeans.

Shutting the door with a bang he got into the driver’s seat and starting the engine coaxed the ageing vehicle into gear.

The rain was coming in as if from nowhere, big, fat globulars of the stuff sliding down the windscreen. The blackened sky suggesting that this was more than just a passing shower.

Fleetingly he wondered if the kid from the beach had managed to get to shelter but his question was soon answered as he rounded a narrow bend and caught sight of said ‘kid’ walking, head bowed, along the road. He must have come up the other path, Daniel mused and taking pity on him, eased off of the gas. Drawing alongside him, he leant over and, winding down the passenger’s window, called out to him.

‘Hey man, need a ride?’

The kid turned and Daniel could see that he was not really a kid at all. In fact Daniel would have put him at nearer his own age. 21. 22 at most. Right now though he looked more like a drowned rat. His blue tie-dyed t-shirt was soaked and his purple cotton flares were plastered almost transparent against his legs.

Raising a hand, he swept his bedraggled collar length black hair back out of his eyes. ‘Wouldn’t mind…That’s if it’s no trouble.’ he added.

‘Nah, no trouble. Hop in.’ Popping open the door, Daniel left the engine humming whilst the drowned rat unslung his guitar and climbed in.

‘I’m Daniel by the way.’

‘Darren.’ The young man smiled shyly again, his smile involuntarily lighting up his whole face.

‘So where are you heading Darren? Berkeley?’

‘That obvious eh?’

‘Lucky guess that’s all. So Berkeley it is then.’

Pumping the gas pedal slightly Daniel shifted gears and started off for the university campus.

'What are you studying?’ he asked conversationally.

‘Education and psychology.’

‘Impressive.’

‘You’re not a student then.’ Darren enquired, running his fingers through his slowly drying hair.

‘Here.’ Daniel reached over and retrieved his towel, handing it to Darren. ‘No I’m not a student. Dropped out after 10^th grade. I work at a record store down near the beach. It pays my rent and leaves me plenty of free time to catch the waves - you know?’

‘Sure.’

Daniel’s eyes flicked over to his passenger again and he couldn’t help but notice just how crystal clear blue his eyes were.

In an effort to focus his thoughts elsewhere he chose to state the obvious.

With a movement of his fingers he indicated the guitar that Darren was sat holding between his legs. ‘You play then?’

‘Yeah, taught myself. '

'Dylan?'

'Amongst other things. Hey Dylan's cool man. He has so much to say, speaks for the people.'

Daniel chuckled. 'I guess so.'

Turning onto the main freeway, they were passed by a convoy of three army trucks ferrying soldiers back up to the base.

Both men fell silent and watched as it overtook them and sped away, the blank faces of its occupants staring back at them.

It's presence rudely pushed to the front the one subject they had deliberately been avoiding.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence Darren cleared his throat and acknowledged the elephant.

'So…have you?'

'No, not yet. Just been lucky I guess. You?'

'Thought I was safe, what with still being in school an' all but now the deferments have been lifted I have until the end of this semester and then I'm fair game.'

'Would you?'

'No!' came the emphatic reply.

'Kinda thought not.' Daniel replied once more turning his head to take in the man sitting beside him.

A flower child, a child of God, the newspapers would have called him but Darren's view was not uncommon. More and more young men were resisting the draft, either fleeing the country or just openly defying their induction notices. Some had even gone to the extremes of publicly burning their draft cards.

'You?' Darren's question broke into his thoughts.

'Honest answer? I don't know. Guess I'll worry about it if it happens. I mean there's no saying I'll get called.’

No, but with minimal education and no rich parents to help him wangle out of it, the odds were not really in his favour.

In an attempt to lighten the heavy atmosphere which had descended, Daniel leant forward and after fiddling around for a few seconds with the ever temperamental knob of the radio, the van was filled with the distinct strains of Grace Slick.

Soon both he and Darren were howling along in a deliberately raucous rendition of 'White Rabbit.'

'Feed your heeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaadd.' They warbled and burst into fits of laughter just as Daniel swung the van up the long driveway leading up to the main campus.

Following Darren's directions he drove round to one side, stopping in front of a group of buildings that obviously served as Halls of Residences.

‘What’s going down there?’ Daniel asked, indicating a gathering of about a dozen students who were milling around on the pathways in front of the buildings, handing out handbills to their fellow students as they passed by.

‘They’re protestors man, there’s going to be a big peace rally here tomorrow. They’re getting things ready.’

‘Oh.’

Darren started to get out of the van but stopped and turned back to Daniel.

‘Look Daniel why don’t you come? It’s very important that we get all the support we can.’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Fuck it Dan this affects you too. How long do you think your luck is gonna last? This war is wrong and people have got to be made to see that.’ Darren’s voice rose with obvious passion as he spoke and then dropped to a soft plea. ‘Please?’

Daniel looked over at the group then back to Darren’s earnest eyes. He wavered. What was he getting himself into?

‘Ok then.’

Darren smiled. 'Cool, I'll see you tomorrow then. Meet me back here at 2 o'clock.'

Reaching in he grabbed his guitar and slinging it by the strap over his shoulder ran off to join the group of students, who greeted him warmly, with back slaps and kisses, indicating that they were clearly good friends of his.

Daniel watched him go, for some unfathomable reason strangely captivated by this guy who spoke with such feeling and obviously cared very deeply about what was going on around him.

Shaking his head as if he still had water lodged in his ears, he turned the van around and made his way back through the campus and onto the freeway once more.