"Get!"

Bang

"Up!"

Bang

"Walker!"

Bang

"Whozzwalker," Alice whines out as she tries to hide her face in Jasper's neck.

Jasper pulls himself upright and away from her, making her wordlessly whine again. "I'm Walker, darlin'," he reminds her, his voice thick with sleep.

"You're not Walker you're mine," Alice mumbles, sounding heavily annoyed as she rolls over and brings most of the covers with her.

Jasper doesn't bother refuting the truth as he opens the door to Nettie, yet again.

Nettie's teeth flashed in his eyes from the lights overhead, blinding him for a moment, and he knew she did it on purpose. "You've got some explaining to do."

Nettie immediately storms over to where the other two women were crowded around the First Mate's console. "What the fuck is this?" Maria hisses at him as he joins them.

A holographic blue dove does a little dance and wishes them a happy 'bird'-day. "A … birthday card?" Jasper says slowly, looking at Maria in confusion.

"Why is this addressed personally from the CEO of V to your fuckin' electrical engineer?" She hisses, and there's an edge in her voice that makes Jasper's heart stutter. It sounds too much like panic.

"I … I don't know. I don't know!" Jasper looks closely at the hologram. Aro wished Edward a very joyous 33, with love. "Oh my god …" Jasper covered his mouth with one of his hands, fully in shock. "Edward's … older than me?"

Maria jumps a little to properly slap him over the head. Jasper clicks his tongue in annoyance at the sharp sting. "Edward's some yuppie from Chicago," Jasper says, if anything, hoping to downplay the situation. The less attention Maria had on the crew, the better. "He's no-one!"

"Well, this tells me otherwise," Maria slaps her hand against the console and the screen flickers. "As does this."

It was a picture of Carlisle, a little younger, his laugh lines not as prominent, his hair a little longer. He's sitting, smiling, looking soft as shit in a t-shirt and a green cardigan. Sitting next to him is the founder and cultural icon that turned V from a Earth-run crime syndicate to the intergalactic technological empire it is today — mononymously known as Aro. Sticking his hand behind Carlisle's head to give him bunny ears.

Lucy beams and immediately sticks bunny ears behind Nettie's head, who slaps her hand away.

Jasper studies the card, but there's only so much one could glean from a dancing dove. "I don't know," he growls, glaring down at Maria as she glares up at him.

Maria rubs a hand over her face and backs away. "We need to find out who these people are," she stretches her arm up significantly to present her middle finger an inch from Jasper's nose. "Since Walker didn't bother to do shit."

Jasper crossed his arms over his chest. "I believe I said I was semi-retired," he watches Maria kiss her teeth and sit back down. "I'll take Edward to the Doc's room to check on his face for breakfast."

"Oh — who cares?" Nettie grumbles absently, flicking through the itemized artillery list like reading a two-page document twice would make it any longer.

"Whoever sent him the damn birthday card might," Jasper reminds her, and Nettie's lip curls down.

"So much for shoving them out of the air-lock," Maria grumbles and Jasper doesn't break his stride as he breaks out into a cold sweat.

Edward doesn't move from where he sits at his dinky little chair in front of his desk when the door opens at Jasper's arrival.

"Was anyone going to tell me you know Aro personally," Jasper drawls out, making Edward jolt from his seat and look up at him startled, "or was I supposed to get chewed out by my former employer by myself?"

Edward frowns. "Did you honestly think a conglomerate like V industries passes out multiple-year-long grants for five people to literally watch mold grow just to random passersby?" he asks in return, in a stuffy and nasal voice. "And watch your tone — I'm angry at you! You betrayed us and watched me get punched in the face!"

With a pained groan, Edward steeples his fingers over his puffy nose and takes a few deep inhales-and-exhales.

"Right, I'm sorry I didn't get punched in the face with you," Jasper tells him and smiles as Edward lets go of his face to give him the finger — he's getting that a lot today.

Jasper hums in what he hopes Edward takes as concern. Honestly — he'd seen men walk off much worse. The bruising's bad and Edward obviously had to have his nose popped back in. But Jasper can already tell it would heal straight and the swelling's mostly down. This is just the worst injury Edward had doubtlessly ever had in his life.

"Bella got hurt because of you."

Jasper rolls his shoulder and gently scoffs. "Oh trust me, that was her own doing," Jasper assured him. Edward does not look assured.

"Get out, I'd rather starve."

"Yes you will, I don't have breakfast," Jasper opens his very empty hands and thumbs down the hall. "I'm here to take you to the Doc."

Edward reluctantly pulls himself to his feet. "Well — actually, now that I think about it," Edward says heavily, "I could stand to eat something first." He nods to the little sink he had in the corner. "I puked twice last night."

"Gross," Jasper helpfully supplies as they head over to the kitchen.

The former First Mate beams brightly with hair that sticks straight out from his scalp as Jasper ducks his head in.

"The Bosun!" Carlisle declares, and Jasper feels a stab in his chest at the word. The man's gaze drops down to the steaming cup in Jasper's hand. "And coffee!" He stands up as the two of them walk into the room. "And Edward! Such a good start to the morning," he says, accepting the cup with both hands and savouring the first sip.

Jasper and Edward deflate in the face of the doctor's bright and sunny disposition. It was like he was sucking the energy out of the two of them to fuel his own.

"You are a hostage?" Jasper offers, in a vague attempt to deflate him.

"Besides that," Carlisle adds easily, reaching over to squeeze Jasper's shoulder. "You've made sure it's been very bearable." Jasper's throat feels too tight to say anything in reply.

"Please, Carlisle," Edward says, taking a seat at the overstuffed armchair nailed to the floor. "All of this, every morning, even now …." he groans, his head lolling back.

Carlisle grins at him, using Edward's current slump to peer at his injuries. "Good bruising — the swelling's down."

Edward glares up at him, snapping; "Any bruising is bad bruising, Carlisle!"

Jasper knows this good-natured squabbling could last a while. Quite a while, since they had nothing else to do, since they were prisoners. "Nettie, the shark-tooth, she found a photo you have with Aro, the Aro," Jasper says intently, as Carlisle sighed contentedly after another sip of coffee.

"Which photo?" Carlisle asks him mildly.

Jasper feels the beginning throb of a stress headache in the bridge of his nose. "Why would there be multiple?" he asks slowly.

"We went to university together," Carlisle answers simply, "people take pictures with their friends." The Doctor hisses at the same time Edward does when he gingerly touches Edward's face to check the symmetry of his nose.

Jasper blinks. "You went to college with Aro, who founded V industries?" he asks slowly, letting the information sink in. "The only company turning a profit in every corner of the galaxy?"

"Aro's always had a head for business," Carlisle agrees absently as he had put his coffee down to fish out the emergency medic bag from under his bed.

Jasper is staring at a man wearing fuzzy green slippers and nothing is adding up. Edward looks not-at-all interested in this conversation, gingery attempting to poke his own face and wincing periodically.

"Why did he even send Edward a birthday card?" Jasper almost doesn't want to ask — he feels like he's losing his mind a little bit.

Carlisle passes Edward a painkiller and in return Edward takes his coffee, using a mouthful to swallow the pill ."Edward's my godson," Carlisle seems pleased to explain as he takes the mug back. "Aro's been very attentive to his career."

Jasper shakes his head lightly, feeling the beginnings of an incredulous smile tug at his lips. "How did I not know this …."

"Probably because you've never asked," Edward snaps back, shooting Jasper a glare like he's a nuisance.

Jasper points at Edward. "Why is he your godson?" he asks Carlisle, who's taking the last mouthful of his coffee. "You are not old."

"Why thank you," Carlisle agrees graciously with a light laugh, "Anthony Masen had a sense of humour that makes Edward's make sense," he added, and now Jasper was even more confused. He had never thought that Edward had a sense of humour. The closest Edward ever got was when he courted his chances of Rosalie chucking him into the sweet embrace of space with their ridiculous prank war. "He was Edward's father, and my university mentor. But why does it matter?"

"Yeah — why would pirates care about legitimate corporations?" Edward's tone is smarmy, though he does shrug a little. "… Majority legit, anyway."

Jasper pinches the bridge of his nose. The sharp pain behind his eyeballs is beginning to match the flare up in his lower back. "Because they're also the only security forces this far out," he explains in a growl. "They're certainly the only security force worth their salt against pirates."

Carlisle gasps, snapping his attention to Edward when the man's stomach growls audibly. Carlisle begins to putter, swapping out his slippers for his boots. "Oh, is it my turn to make breakfast?" he asks eagerly. "Let's have pancakes."

"Can we talk about this?" Jasper snaps as he watches Carlisle head out of his still-open door in the direction of the kitchen.

Edward slinks to his feet, glaring heavily. "Oh now you want to talk?" he simpers, "Well — can I eat? I'm injured, I need my strength."

Incredibly drained, Jasper sits at the table as Edward and Carlisle argue over whether or not to add chocolate chips.

"We need them for morale!" Carlisle points out, holding out a hand patiently for Edward to give them over.

"We were going to use them for cookies!" Edward reminded him impatiently. "Besides — we shouldn't have good breakfasts right now," Edward turns to glare at Jasper, "they don't deserve them."

Jasper gives him a little wave, and Carlisle uses his distraction to snatch the chocolate from him. "Now, don't be stingy. Do unto others."

"Why aren't you angry?" Edward demands, gesturing to his beaten face. "Look at me!"

"I can't right now, Teddy. I can't look at the boy I watched grow up when he looks like this," Carlisle calmly pours out chocolate chips into a measuring cup. "It's hard for me, but not for our Bosun," when Carlisle turns to look at him, Jasper needs to avoid his gaze.

"He's seen much worse, hasn't he?" Carlisle asks, turning back around only after a moment to determine that Jasper really wouldn't reply. "So I'm not angry at him, that this is the worst thing that's ever happened to you, Ted."

Jasper feels the guilt smolder in his chest, and he shakes his heavy head. "It might have even been avoided if you knew half the cards you held." He feels pathetic trying to shift the blame now, it's a cowardly attempt.

"What cards?" Carlisle throws up his hands a little. "There are still three very deadly women with guns they know how to use," he points out. "Obviously you knew we never stood a chance from the beginning."

Jasper would very much like to beat his head against the table. He sucks in a calming breath before he can reply.

"... I'm sorry," he says softly, watching Edward nod with satisfaction, "for not telling you how powerful the company you work for is," he finishes, grinning with no humour as Edward's mouth falls open in deeply offended shock.

But Carlisle narrows his eyes and looks at Jasper carefully. "... Are you saying we have leverage?"

"Literally since this morning," Jasper mutters. At least now he's relatively sure the women in his left ear would have tuned out this frustrating and stupid conversation.

Carlisle and Edward exchange growing triumphant smiles. "Chocolate pancakes it is!" Edward declares.

Edward and Carlisle are in high spirits as they take their turn handing out fresh hot pancakes. They go to Esme first and by silently shooing at him, Jasper figures they want him to hang back.

Edward and Carlisle mutter together but they grin as the door opens.

"Captain!" Edward says excitedly, though in a hushed tone, "we have leverage," Edward begins with obvious relish.

But he doesn't get any further, as Esme cries out, "Edward! Oh my god!" Her scream reaches Jasper's ears as clearly as it reaches his mic.

"We need them docile," Nettie's voice is angry, and Jasper steps in to intervene.

Esme is grasping at Edward's shoulders and staring in horror at his face. Jasper physically pushes her back, and presses the plate into Esme's hand, just in time for the door to slam shut.

They hear a muffled smash of the plate, and Esme's gentle sobs.

All good humour vanishes as Edward silently pulls his jumpsuit back into place.

"She dropped her pancakes," Edward says quietly, and he looks so miserable about it. "Rosalie and Ememtt shouldn't see me like this."

Edward hangs back as Carlisle and Jasper go to the next door. Carlisle is still somber as he passes off the pancakes, even as Emmett grins in excitement.

"Chocolate chip!" he crows, showing Rosalie with glee.

Rosalie eyes the plate with a pout. "Those were supposed to be for cookies," she reminds them in a heavy tone, "Edward's not going to be happy about this."

"He'll get over it," Carlisle placates her, and manages a little wave before the doors close again.

Jasper nods to Edward, who slumps off to his room and bats the air like a lucky cat in some sort of good-bye as he's locked back in.

It's hard to keep you all separate. The Captain said I wasn't to leave the doors open for too long.| Bella's voice was quiet, but there was something more of herself in it than when Jasper had last heard her. |I asked about the parameters of the time frame and she said she could bring my old Captain to command and see if she could explain it. I didn't want to risk that.

"It's good to hear from you again, Bella," Carlisle says in a quiet voice, and the answering beep sounded more reassuring than words. Carlisle looks at Jasper, and for once there's nothing mild about his expression. "Bosun, I have a request — I'd like to meet with the woman in charge."

Jasper taps twice on the mic in the corner of his mouth. "Fine," Maria's tone is more put-out than anything else, but Jasper's certain if she could see the man's expression she wouldn't be taking this quite so lightly.

Jasper waves a hand towards command with a growing smirk. "Right this way, sir."

Maria is waiting for them when Jasper brings Carlisle to command, the table in tow.

Carlisle has on a shallow smile, and Lucy doesn't bother looking at him as he hands out their breakfast. "Maria, I hope you like pancakes."

Jasper watches Nettie stare at the chocolate chips like she's never seen them before, which might very well be true. Maria balances the plate on the flat of her hand and stares Carlisle down.

"What is it?"

"Well, I have a few photos with an old friend from university at my station," Carlisle explains, glancing at where Nettie glares at him. Maria doesn't flinch, she only watches calmly. "I'm very hopeful that they won't be wiped. Sentiment, and whatnot."

Jasper tries very hard not to slap his own forehead. This was Carlisle trying to turn the tables? It's almost cute. Maria looks equally as moved, really almost bored. "I see."

Carlisle found their male newcomer looking listless, as he wiped down the glass of the observation deck while he stared blankly into the deep abyss. It was a strange sight — a man disinterested in spritzing a window against the backdrop of space.

Alice had taken up her duties as Steward with much aplomb. Yesterday, Carlisle had congratulated Esme on finding such a good fit for the woman so soon — while Esme had meant to thank Carlisle for having the right sense of where to put her. Realising that the woman had essentially promoted herself, they decided to let dogs lie, lest Emmett try and weasel his way into the gun cupboard, again. Or Rosalie attempted to take initiative and have Edward demoted to a wiper.

"You look forlorn, OS Whitlock."

The man glanced down with a wince, "Don't mean to seem ungracious, sir," the man replied, and watched as Carlisle kicked off from the wall, shooting up and stopping himself next to Whitlock by slapping a hand against the window.

"Not what I said," Carlisle pointed out patiently. Whitlock shrugged once as he reached over to wipe away Carlisle's handprint. "What troubles you?"

"It's very … quiet here, sir," Whitlock admitted, and Carlisle wanted to congratulate him on the effort — as he seemed so incredibly loathe to say it. "I find myself on edge."

Carlisle inclined his head, watched the stars with the same deep sobriety as the younger man, "You were in a high-stress environment for a very long time, it makes sense to be a little bored without conflict."

"I'm not bored," there's a charmingly childish way about Whitlock when he shook his head. "I'm retired now."

Carlisle nodded to the rag in his hand. "This seems like a job, son."

"Hm …" Whitlock faltered and for a moment he looked genuinely surprised. As though he hadn't considered that. "Retired from combat?" he murmured this mostly to himself, and Carlisle had to carefully breathe through the chuckle in his throat. Carlisle knew something about young men that held themselves too sternly to stand being laughed at — no matter how much good faith was involved.

"Well," Carlisle clapped his hands and pushed himself down towards the floor with his fingertips, more mindful of any prints he could leave now, "if you find this adjustment a difficult one, I think I have an idea of how to ease you into it."

Whitlock twisted in a very strange way - almost curled himself into a ball to use the very toe-edge of his boots to kick off and follow him. It was a move he was relatively tall enough for, but probably too gravity-ridden from a Terran upbringing, though Jasper's even, proportional limbs said nothing but.

Carlisle waved a hand over the cupboard. "Mr Whitlock — our arsenal."

He watched as the younger man took stock of the handful of guns and a dusty toolbox. Suddenly, Whitlock started to laugh, a big, belly laugh that made him look considerably younger.

He grinned at Carlisle. "Fearsome!" he laughed again, squeezing himself inside the little room to better inspect it.

"Well, if you're our master of arms, maybe OS isn't a high enough position for you," Carlisle hummed thoughtfully, as Whitlock glanced back at him in a distracted way. "How about the boatswain?"

That makes Whitlock's eyes snap back to him with full attention. "You'd have me as your bosun?" he asked, eyes slightly wide.

Carlisle didn't need to point out the gentle, peaceful people Whitlock had found himself among. "You might be our most experienced crew member yet."

Nettie snaps her teeth together twice, a high discordant clanging sound that gets the attention of the room. "Maria — incoming."

There's a message on the main screen, red and flashing. The words 'V Industries' says as much as the words 'priority one' scrolling across the bottom of the screen.

"This is Team Black Swan, of V Industries. Requesting formal confirmation from the USS Midas." A man's voice reverberates through the room.

Maria for a moment, only breathes. She flicks her fingers from Nettie to Carlisle. Nettie swaggers to her feet and takes the Doc's elbow, no doubt leading him back to his room.

Carlisle shrugs off her hold, muttering something about being perfectly capable of walking on his own, and sends a helplessly annoyed look at Jasper.

He watches Carlisle leave but Maria gives his own elbow a yank and he spins Lucy out of the watch seat to get to his console's microphone. "This is the USS Midas, Bosun Whitlock speaking," he returns.

"Requesting turquoise alert security codes from the USS Midas."

Jasper wrinkles his nose. "Turquoise?" he says to Maria, who looks furious about her own confusion. He knows it's a green-blue stone that Alice writes off as a 'gaudy colour that just sounds fancy'.

Annoyed, Maria flips out the glittery purple book and flicks through it. She frowns in confusion as she flips the last page, and flips to the front to flip through it again.

"Maria!" Lucy snaps, looking between her and the waiting blip on the screen in growing agitation. There was nothing dreamy about her tone now.

Maria closes the book and her eyes. She pulls in a deep breath, and doesn't release it.

Jasper nods once. "We seem to be having trouble with gettin' these codes, sir," he says, "Confirming alert turquoise?"

"Confirmed, Bosun. Please refer to Captain Esme Platt."

Maria throws the book to the floor, jumps to her feet, and stares Jasper down. "Walker — run."

Esme's startled and tear-stained face blinks up at him, as Jasper skids into the room. She's kneeling on the floor in front of a broken plate of pancakes with the remnants of her throw around her shoulders.

"V Industries is here!" Jasper tells her in a rush, "They're here, they want security codes for some fancy colour — what do we do?"

Esme sniffles, a crease forming in her brow, "The emergency security colour rainbow?" she asks and Jasper flicks his palm up as he doesn't know. She shakes her head slowly, "I memorized them."

Jasper blinks, "You … oh," he grins and ducks down to grab her shoulders, "I could kiss you right now," he informs her cheerfully.

Esme nods a little bit, pressing a hand to her temple, "I think I need one, this has been a very stressful few days," she says and Jasper leans over to give her a smacking kiss on the forehead.

Esme takes Jasper's arm as he hurries her to command, where Maria stops pacing to bare her teeth at the woman; as though she's trying to smile but couldn't quite get there.

"Ms Platt — we seem to be running into some technical issues," Maria murmurs, her lip curling up — like having to say the words left a bad taste in her mouth. Jasper reckons that taste might be her own blood from biting her cheek.

Esme smiles softly at her, "I don't think so, dear — I think you're up a certain creek and lacking a certain paddle."

Maria purses her lips and watches Esme take the time to spread out her throw over her chair and sit down. She glances at Jasper and then to The Code Book, and nods as Jasper walks over to scoop it up and return it to her.

"This is Captain Esme Platt, count please."

"Voice confirmed, Captain Platt — requesting codes for turquoise alert sent by your steward."

Bella's voice is cool and clear through the speakers, and Jasper frowns in confusion.

Esme's face morphs into horror. "... What have you done?" she asks quietly, looking at Lucy with wide eyes that the pale woman mirrors. Then, Esme gets angry.

"What have you done to Bella! She's malfunctioning!" Esme rounds on Maria, storming up to her. "Oh, this is the last straw!" she declares as Maria locks her stance and flicks out the knife in her sleeve. "First you injure my electrical engineer and now you—"

Maria swipes as Esme takes the next step forward, making the plump woman stumble back hurriedly. Maria advances a step, but Jasper grabs her arm. Maria says nothing as Jasper doesn't let go.

"Careful, Walker," Nettie says, strolling back into the room with her hand on her gun. "Be a good boy, now."

Jasper lets Maria's wrist go in the same second that he side-steps her and stands in front of Esme. "Lucy — what did you mess with?" he snaps at her.

"Not me!" The woman whines, flopping even more limply and giving an annoyed groan.

"Captain Platt, requested countdown exceeded."

"Finally," Esme sighs, and every screen in command switches off.

Maria freezes, and Jasper can see the whites of her eyes.

Esme is pleased to explain, "After ten seconds without the code the ship goes offline — safety precaution, you see."

Nettie grits her teeth and takes a step back. "We need to leave," she says to Maria. She had always been the caution to Maria's tendency towards megalomania.

"Captain Platt, we have taken remote-control of the USS Midas. We will be engaging in a forcible board for full inspection."

Maria's eyes flick over to Nettie, "How big is the ship."

"Didn't see," Nettie replied lowly, "we need to leave."

Lucy perks up, "Home time?"

"Two days and nothing to show for it?" Maria asks them both, brow raised in offence. "I don't fuckin' think so."

Then, there's a pounding of feet, and Emmett bolts into the room, holding a broken bit of a plate — greasy and smeared with chocolate.

"Leave our Captain alone!" he booms, brandishing the shard at them all.

The entire remaining crew of the Midas arrive on his heels.

"The doors all opened but I can't get Bella to respond," Edward says to Jasper. Jasper breathes through his fury carefully — all of them released and not one of them thought to find a weapon but Emmett and it's a goddamn broken bit of porcelain.

Nettie already has the gun pointed at Emmett's face. Lucy heaved herself up from her chair, and Maria's hands clench and unclench at the loss of control of the situation.

"We should leave now," Jasper tells her softly. "We can't take them."

Realisation flickers over Maria's face, and she begins to grin.

"Excellent — not nothing to show for it," Nettie throws up her hands, and prods Emmett's belly with the butt of her gun, making him jump back and smack a brawny arm into Rosalie's breasts, forcing her to jolt back too.

Jasper grabs Lucy's clutching outstretched hands and hefts her over his shoulder. "Let's get gone," he tells her and she hums in gleeful agreement.

"No, Jasper!" Alice cries out, running up to him and stepping on his boots. "No."

Maria is no fool. "She can come with us, if you wish."

He flicks a glance towards the crew — only long enough to see Esme's silently shaking her head, Rosalie's rubbing her tit and scowling, Emmett's slightly open mouth and heavily creased brows.

Finally, Jasper looks down at Alice's wide, beseeching eyes.

"Stick with me, baby!" Her eyes sparkled, nude except for the sheet she'd wrapped around herself, jumping to her feet on the mattress. This hole-in-the-hole hotel like a palace out of a fairy-tale for the both of them. "I'll take you to your happily-ever-after!"

He was still drunk, on beer and her, when he replied; "Yes you did, darlin'. I'm lookin' at her."

Jasper never wanted this life for himself, how could he condemn the only person in the entire universe he'd die for?

"I don't think so," he explains. He can't take her eyes off of her, even when every instinct he'd grown up with screamed that Maria would notice, he couldn't look away. "She's too much of a liability."

Alice minutely shakes her head, telling him don't do it. But he had to — she couldn't come after him. Every time she looked up at the stars, he wanted her to pray he was dead among them.

"Mental hospital, back on earth. The risks outweigh any benefit," he says, such succinct words to rip his heart out of his chest and leave it right here, where it belonged.

"Wait, wait," Alice grabs his hand, and he wants to wrench it away because he can't stand it. Her expression is hard but her eyes gave her away, "Take Happy and go straight to hell with her."

"Thanks, darlin'. But she suits you better." Jasper smiles, thinking about the signal she emitted that could only be traced by the two of them.

It's Rosalie who plants her feet and stares them down. "You're not leaving!" she declares, her eyes on Jasper.

"Oh?" Nettie sidles up next to him. "And how, baby girl, do you plan on stopping us?" she purrs, the gun twitching in her hands.

"No — you'll leave," Esme tells them, standing tall and screwing all of her courage. She grabs her throw from her chair and flings it at them in disgust. "But let this be a lesson to you —-"

"No," Maria drops the word over her shoulder as Jasper physically tosses Lucy through the airlock and into the rusty beat up cabin of the ship they came on.

Esme hadn't managed to recover in the two seconds it takes for the rest of them to fall in, the airlock to engage and they were gone.