Skipping Along 50: Coming to Terms

By Gemsong

Summary: Jack doesn't like change.

*Neill*

Why did I not see this coming? But I didn't. I suppose I should have knowing Jack as well as I do but this really blindsided me. Maybe the three year old part of his mind took over. That and those ancient abilities that are making themselves known. For example all my clothes in the closet were inside out. Not just the closet but the clothes in my dresser. All neatly folded and inside out. Even my jock straps. That's just so wrong on so many levels.

Then there were the glares. Every time I turned around, there he was glaring at me. Brown eyes narrowed and the bottom lip in a pout. Unfortunately the pout was cute on that little face but I'm not suicidal enough to say that out loud.

Jack was mad at me and it took me a bit to figure out why since he also wasn't speaking to me even if he was my constant shadow. When my paperwork for MIT started to disappear, I had my 'a hah' moment. Though I admit I wasn't sure exactly why he was mad. Because I was going to MIT? Doing something he never got to do?

I was not going to spend the next five month dealing with this. I turned and picked up my original by the back of his overalls and headed outside with him. Naturally he struggled against being carried like a bag of groceries.

"Put me down!" Jack yelled squirming and kicking as I held him at arms length while I thumped my way down the deck stairs. "I'm gonna tell mama you're not using the crutches!"

"And then I'm going to tell her why, squirt," I said. I continued across the yard thumping with the cast I didn't need and swinging the baggage back and forth.

I sat down on the bench and thunked Jack down on my lap. He tried to squirm away but I'm stronger and know his tricks. "You and I need to talk," I said.

Jack's body was tense against me. "We don't got nothing to talk about," he growled.

"So, what's the deal with my clothes?" I asked.

"Didn't think you'd notice," Jack grumbled.

"You didn't think I'd notice all my underwear was inside out?" I asked, tilting my head to look at him. Jack huffed in response. "And why does the paperwork keep disappearing? I had to start having it delivered elsewhere."

Ah. There is was. Jack went still and silent. He stared straight ahead and wouldn't relax an inch.

"Jack... why are you mad at me?" I asked. "Because I'm going to MIT or because you couldn't?"

My 'little brother' snarled something rude that can't be printed. "Why do you have to go there?!" he demanded. "Colorado's got great schools."

I nodded slowly. "True, but MIT has the courses I want," I said.

He didn't like that answer. "So does the academy!" he snapped. "You don't have to go away to school!"

I tightened my arms around him. "You're mad because I'm leaving," I said.

"You don't have to go away," Jack wailed. Since I was looking at his profile I saw the big fat tears roll down his face. I felt my own eyes burn a little.

I pulled him tighter against my chest, my chin resting on the top of his head. "Not so long ago, you and I decided to stay out of each other's lives," I said. "Then somehow, I got drawn back into your life. It was really weird at first. But now I have something I didn't think I would have. A family. A family that we're both part of."

"You don't have to go," Jack said, his body twisting in my lap so he could grab on to my shirt.

"You're right," I said. "I don't have to go. But I want to. I want to explore the things you never got a chance to." I looked down at him and lifted his chin. "Something you might be doing yourself in a few years." I felt his body relaxing against mine.

"I don't want you to go," Jack mumbled against my shirt.

"I know," I said. "But I'll be back. After all... my family is here."

Finis