A/N: Whoa, it's been a long time since this got updated...my bad. I think Darth Education ate Darth Real Life and Darth Writer's Block was the leftover. I've been busier than usual lately, and it was sort of hard to get past the writer's block for this chapter, but things should be settling down soon and I think I'm past the writer's block, so with some luck chapter four will be a little faster. Don't forget to review! If I get more than seven or eight reviews, I'll see about putting up the playlist that goes with Shades of Grey. Anyway, enjoy!
September 9, 267
Before Watch
You know, I sort of feel bad now.
I'm starting to wonder exactly why Rosto and I can't get along, too. This morning, Piper knocked me out of bed again. I'm really getting tired of being kicked out of my own bed. It's mine, after all, and not my dog's. I should be the one kicking her out. But no. It's always 'Jarred silly. Piper need sleep, too. Jarred likes floor, right? Jarred on floor a lot, so Piper should have bed!' And it isn't even my fault that I end up on the ground a lot. Most of the time, it's not, at least. I did trip down the stairs last night before watch.
So, I had to get up when Piper knocked me out of bed because she wouldn't let me get back in it due to the fact that she was taking up the whole bloody thing. So, I got up and put on a tan breeches, a green shirt, and my brown jerkin. Then, I couldn't find my boots. I stopped and looked at Piper. She wagged her tail at me, looking somewhat guilty. I rolled my eyes.
"All right, what happened to my boots?" I asked her.
They under bed now, Piper yipped. That was right where I didn't want them, because it's rather difficult to get them out when they end up under there. I sighed and shook my head at her.
"Why are they under my bed, Piper?" I asked.
Piper no know. Why they under bed? she yipped back. I stared at her for a moment.
"You are the most frustrating dog in the whole world," I told her. Piper let out a whistle-yip and wagged her tail.
Piper not dog. Piper star-picture. Piper supposed to be like that. Star-pictures meddle in family like this, like Cat-Cat and Piper, she told me. I stopped and gawked at her, a deep frown forming on my face. Honestly, the last thing my family needs is to be meddled with now. We're already having enough trouble on our own. When it was me and Ma, it wasn't such a problem, but now… Well, now is different.
It took me a few minutes to get my boots out from under my bed. I was on my stomach and about half-under my bed when I heard the door open.
"Jarred, why are you under the bed?" It was Ma, and she sounded like she was confused. I pushed myself out and propped myself up to look at her.
"Piper somehow stuck my boots under my bed, and I'm trying to get them out," I told her. She frowned and I shrugged, turning back to what I had been doing. The sound of more footsteps reached my ears a moment later. I had almost gotten the second boot when Rosto spoke up.
"What in the world are you doing, son?" he asked. I shifted a little, and whacked my head on the bottom of my bed.
"Ouch!" I yelped. It took me a minute to get myself out again, but I had both of my boots, so I had accomplished my task. I turned and gave him a look of annoyance while I rubbed the back of my head.
"I was getting my boots out from under my bed," I replied. "Piper here decided that they belonged under there for some reason." Rosto regarded me with veiled amusement for a moment.
"I suppose that's another reason your mother has a cat," he said. I rolled my eyes at him and pulled on my boots before I went searching for my belt-knife, which had gotten knocked off the table next to my bed when I'd gotten knocked out of bed. It wasn't too hard to find – it was between my bed and the table. Once that was found, I got to my feet and brushed myself off. I glanced over my shoulder to see that Ma and Rosto were still standing there.
"Uh, what?" I was very confused as I looked at them. Ma had this sort of misty look in her eyes and Rosto… well, he was sort of far off, too. Rosto had his arm wrapped around Ma and she was leaning into him. I sighed to myself and went in search of something else just so I didn't have to look at it. When I glanced back at them, they were looking at each other with mushy looks on their faces. I rolled my eyes and went back to rummaging around in my desk for nothing in particular. I don't like it when they look at each other like that. It gets on my nerves because it just reminds me that I've become an outsider in my own family…
The next time I looked up at them, they were kissing. Talk about annoying. They seem to do that almost constantly. Or, at least, multiple times a day when I'm looking. It's quite irritating, really, and I don't think they have any idea that it's like that. So, I did my best Anjier impression.
"Eww! Do you really have to do that?!" I asked. Rosto pulled away and gave me a surprised look. Ma had a weird look on her face, too. "Sorry, but doing that in my doorway is actually vaguely disturbing," I told them. Rosto rolled his eyes at me.
"Get used to it, lad," Rosto said. I shook my head.
"It's been two months. I think I'm as used to it as I can get. It's a bit irritating that you keep doing that," I replied. Rosto sighed. There was silence for a moment as I started pulling things out of the drawer I had been going through. Now I couldn't find the report I'd written up a few days ago. That was not good.
"Jarred, do you think you could help me with something later?" Rosto asked. I glanced up at him.
"No. I've got errands to run for myself and Corcoran, and I'm going to have lunch with my friends Saul and Gavin. I haven't seen them in five years, and we have some catching up to do," I told him. Rosto looked a little more surprised then I would have thought.
"Well, what about tomo-"
"No. I'm going to the lake with Elaine and probably Robbie tomorrow. We're going to try to invite the Westovers and Robbie's sister, and we'll probably be gone all day. Well, at least until me and Elaine have to come back into the City to get ready for baton practice," I said. There was silence in the room for another moment while I went back to looking for my report. Ma was giving me one of those looks that said she was disappointed in me when I looked back up. I shrank beneath her gaze.
While I may be nearly eighteen, there is nothing in the world that makes me feel worse than to disappoint Ma. I've tried so hard to make her proud, and to live up to her expectations of me. I even picked up a profession that not I not only love, but one that made her proud. For a few months, at least. I'm not so sure anymore. Sometimes I feel like all of this conflict with Rosto is going to force her to choose between us. And somehow, I think I'd lose if she had to choose.
And I'm moping again. That isn't good.
Anyway, Rosto just shrugged. He nudged Ma and shook his head minutely. She met his eyes and nodded. It's like they can read each other's minds or something.
"That's fine. Maybe in a couple of days," he said nonchalantly. Still, there was hurt and disappointment in his stance. I nodded in return. Admittedly, I was starting to feel a little bad that I'd been so short with him, but it was too late by then.
"Sure. Maybe in a couple of days," I agreed. Ma sighed and walked farther into the room, coming to stand next to me at my desk. She put her hand on my shoulder, then moved it to my cheek, forcing me to meet her gaze. She didn't say anything, but gave me a meaningful look before she kissed my forehead and walked back over to the door.
"We'll talk about this later, Jarred," she said quietly, slipping her hand into Rosto's as they turned to go.
I sat there and watched the two of them disappear down the hallway toward the stairs. For a little while, I continued looking for my report. I still don't know how in the world it actually ended up in the bottom drawer on the left side of my desk. I never put anything important in there, much less a report. That explains why I couldn't find it, though.
Eventually, I joined Ma and Rosto downstairs, but there was little conversation. They were sitting over to one side of the counter and discussing something in hushed tones. All the same, I headed out (without Piper, for once) after breakfast to do the errands I had been planning on doing. That part of the day was really rather boring, since I had nothing to do, and I was feeling a bit guilty over what happened earlier.
I headed back to the Dove once I was done with everything and dropped off what Corcoran had asked me to pick up. I went back upstairs to let Piper out, but made sure she wasn't following me when I left again.
Saul, Gavin, and I met at the Green Dragon, which was a favorite of ours the last time they were in town. It sometimes amazes me that it's been so long since they were in town. Until last night, I hadn't seen Saul since I was thirteen. His family is a merchant family that rarely stays in one place for long. They haven't been in Corus for nearly five years. They left a few days after my birthday last time, and hadn't been back since.
Saul and Gavin were already there waiting for me when I got there. The two of them are as different as night and day. Where Saul is taller, dark-haired and light-eyed, Gavin has golden hair and brown eyes, though they're nowhere near as dark as mine are, and he's only five feet three inches. They're very different men, too. Saul is much more sarcastic and cynical than Gavin is. Though, he does have his good days where his mood is similar to Gavin's usual temperament, which involves being happy most of the time. I don't understand how he can keep that up and be genuine all the time, but I don't doubt that he is. It's just sort of strange.
Anyway, they were both standing there waiting for me when I got that. Gavin's face lit up when he caught sight of me.
"Jarry!" he called. I stopped and glared at him. I hate that nickname. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. Would it kill people just to call me Jarred? That's what my ma named me, after all. It's not even hard to pronounce or Scanran gibberish or anything.
"It's Jarred, Gav, or I'll start calling you Gavvie again," I threatened. Gavin rolled his eyes, but still grinned at me.
"Not my fault. You started it," he said.
"Did not. You called me Jarry for some twisted reason. My name is Jarred. Use it, or lose it," I told him. Gavin shook his head.
"I think I'll lose it and just call you Jarry instead," he said. I let out a frustrated growl, then smirked at him.
"Whatever you say, pipsqueak," I teased. Gavin shot me an unusually dark look while Saul rolled his eyes at his brother.
"Don't call me that," Gavin said.
"Then don't call me Jarry," I replied. "Deal?"
"No, but I'll punch you if you do that again," he threatened. I chuckled.
"You try that. I don't think that will hurt much," I told him. He punched me lightly in the shoulder.
"It's good to see you again, Jarred," he said, shaking his head at me. "Even if you are a killjoy sometimes," he added. Saul shook his head.
"Killjoy here saved me last night either way," he told his younger brother. "You almost had to go back to Port Legann and tell Mother and Father that I'd gotten killed because I got caught in a stupid brawl." Gavin looked at me with surprise. I wasn't the most coordinated thirteen-year-old at times, so that might have been a surprise for him.
"Don't mention it," I shrugged. "That's what friends are for, after all," I pointed out. Gavin shook his head at me and we started heading in. Gavin is two years older than me, while Saul is three years older. When we first met, the age difference wasn't so bad, because I was ten, but as we got a little older it did. And oh how they teased me about not having a crush on one of the gixies who lived on the other end of the Lower City. Most of the lads our age did, but not me. I couldn't have cared less at that point. They never did let me live that down on their last trip.
"You saved Saul?" Gavin asked skeptically. He obviously wasn't going to let that go.
"Yeah. He tried to throw himself on a rusher who would've doused him," I told him.
"You, though?" he asked. I rolled my eyes.
"Yes, Gavin. I stopped your brother from getting himself killed," I said, shaking my head. "I'm not the kid you knew when you were here last. I actually did grow up," I pointed out.
"A little surprising," he said. "No offense, but when you were a kid, you weren't exactly cut out to be a Dog…" I sighed.
"Hey, I wasn't that bad, Gav," I protested. He rolled his eyes at me.
"Sure, Jare, sure…"
The conversations went on much like that during lunch, and it was rather interesting. It's kind of surprising how different we've all become in the five years since they were back.
More later – baton practice starts soon…
After Watch
Sometime, I wonder why there aren't more Dogs. I think I know why now. Most of them are afraid of getting jumped.
I do hate Rats sometimes. Particularly when one of them decides that the son of the Rogue and a Dog needs to be jumped for some reason or another. That happened three bloody times tonight! And it isn't like I make myself someone who's easy to pick out of the crowd when I can avoid it…
So, for the most part, Watch was mostly the usual – we had regular street duty tonight, so we were just patrolling, and it wasn't the Nightmarket or the Cesspool for the first time in a while.
I caught six Rats myself and that's mainly because I got sent after them and had to keep them down long enough for Rinny and Tay to catch up. That wasn't too hard, really. Particularly compared to the foist I chased down the other day in particular. There weren't any rooftop chases, either.
Rosto wasn't downstairs and the Dove was quiet when me and Ma got back. He was leaning over the rail at the top of the second flight of stairs, looking down at the second floor while he waited for Ma. Her face lit up when she saw him. She gave me a kiss on the cheek goodnight and a hug before she headed upstairs. Rosto grinned at her and spoke quietly when she was about halfway up the stairs. I watched their quiet conversation for a moment, glancing between them from where I stood.
They love each other a lot. I keep noticing that. They've been together for twenty years, despite Rosto being imprisoned for most of that. Still, the fact that even after being away from each other for so long doesn't seem to have been a major factor. The thought of Ma was the only thing that kept Rosto from giving up to begin with, after all. And I was personally there to know how hard it was for Ma without him around.
Despite that I've been at odds with Rosto, I have to admire both him and Ma at times. They have a lot of strength to be able to get through what the two of them have been through in their lifetimes, from Rosto being imprisoned to Ma having to raise me on her own…
I'm going to head to bed. And Piper isn't sleeping on the bed tonight. I'm not having a repeat of last night.
A/N: Love it, hate it? Don't forget to tell me what you think! Review, please!
Posted 10/6/09
