January 4th, 2158 CE
"Hey Jasper, are you ready to go yet?"
"Almost, pa. I just gotta… take care of…" Jasper Shepard frowns as sternly as his youthful features allow at his model of the SSV Peloncillo, which stubbornly refuses to fit properly amongst the contents of his bulging suitcase. He doesn't want to try and jam the model in forcefully, fearful of damaging it, but he can't get his belongings to fit it in without otherwise removing several items.
"Son, the captain's been waiting for…" Isaac Shepard's worry fades into amusement as he gazes down at his son's predicament, a wry smile splitting his stubbled cheeks. "Go ahead and zip it up, sport. Just don't go swinging that thing around, and we'll be just fine."
He ruffles Jasper's wavy blonde hair affectionately, his son's small hands batting half-heartedly at his own. He lets go after a moment, and with a huff, Jasper zips his suitcase closed and cradles the model delicately to his chest. The two exit the crews' quarters swiftly after that, heading to the airlock where Hannah Shepard is apologizing to the Ticonderoga's captain. The other woman waves her off as she spots the pair approaching. "Look Shepard, it's no trouble at all. Just make sure to give me a call when you're ready for pickup. We can afford a little shore leave." She bends at the waist and smiles toothily at the four-year-old. "All set little guy?"
Jasper's gray eyes shine as he smiles back and nods. "Yes ma'am, thank you ma'am." The captain laughs and offers her hand. Jasper sets his suitcase down and shakes it as firmly as he can.
"Well, aren't you a polite little soldier?" Hannah's stance shifts a few inches, a frown on her lips. Isaac looks uncomfortable, and picks up his son's luggage quietly. This all goes unnoticed by Jasper, who is in his own little world of delight.
"Thank you, ma'am. I'm gonna be just like my ma and pa when I—"
"Jasper, why don't you let your father take you home? I need to talk to the captain." Hannah smiles tightly at her son, patting his shoulder. Jasper relinquishes the captain's hand and turns to run to his father, already in the airlock. He throws a quick goodbye over his shoulder as he goes. He doesn't see the grim look in Hannah's hazel eyes as the ship's door closes. Isaac sighs and nods to Jasper, who grabs hold of his father's pantleg. The airlock doors open, and the two begin the trek to their new lodgings on Kaver Station.
May 14th, 2161 CE
"Alright class, Jasper is going to pass this around, and I want everyone to be careful, alright?" Mister Myers grins happily as Jasper passes the model of the Peloncillo to the child next to him. It goes around the room until it reaches the hands of Mason Cash. He holds it for a few minutes, turning it this way and that, before jumping from his seat.
"Hey Shepard! Can this thing even fly?" Jasper's eyes widen as Mason rears back his arm. He rushes to get out of his seat, desperate to stop the bigger boy. Myers is already crossing the room, a look of worry on his wrinkly face.
"Mason. You know that model ships aren't meant to-!" The elderly man ducks as Mason launches the ship towards the blackboard, where it smashes into several chunks on the metal floor. Jasper freezes, halfway across the room. His eyes begin to well up with tears at the sight of the precious flagship of his collection, the last birthday gift from his last grandma, lies in ruins upon the ground. He glares at Mason, making his way towards the blackboard to gather the pieces. Myers whirls to face Jasper, but his worry turns to anger as he hears the uproarious laughter of Mason.
"Mason, you're going to the principal's office this very minute. I'd prepare a good statement for your father if I were you." Mason stops laughing immediately, his eyes widening with fear.
"B-But it's just a joke, I didn't even—" Mister Myers grabs Mason by the arm, his face thunderous. Mason swallows harshly. He looks to the now crying Jasper with an accusatory glare. Mason tugs at him, and Mason begrudgingly follows him to the door, where Myers signals the hall monitor to take him to the principal. Jasper has made his way to the fallen dreadnought, holding back sniffles as he grabs the remnants from the floor, jabbing his palms and fingers with the sharp edges. Myers sighs at the sight. He goes to his desk to retrieve some bandages for Jasper's cuts, and some glue. The rest of the class is whispering amongst themselves. Ever since his arrival last year, Mason has taken to antagonizing Jasper in however he can. Many of the children have taken to avoiding Jasper, believing him to have done something incredibly offensive to attract such anger from the normally flippant newcomer.
"Jasper, put it down. I need to put these on the cuts you've given yourself." Myers spoke softly, kneeling beside the young boy. Jasper looks up at him through his tears, his vision blurry. Myers gently pats his shoulder. "Don't worry, I've a plan you see. I think you'll quite like it."
Jasper slowly sets down the pieces of his model. Myers tells him attaboy, and applies the bandages. "Here." He hands Jasper the glue and some paper towels. "Why don't you go to the table in the back and see if you can't get a start on repairing our proud ship. I'll join you shortly." Myers smiles heartily as Jasper's tears begin to slow, a look of determination appearing on his reddened face. While the young boy tears off several towels to gather his pieces, Myers turns to the class.
"Alright. Now that Mason has given us all a demonstration on how not to treat other's things, who wants to go next? Lucille? Atta girl. Now class, be careful this time, I mean it." As the young girl begins passing around her favorite cricket bat, Myers turns and helps Jasper finish. They make their way to the back of the room and begin piecing together the Peloncillo again. They work earnestly, trying to beat the final bell. Myers dutifully keeps track of who is passing around what, and Jasper is in awe of the speed of their progress. Once the bell rings, Myers dismisses all but Jasper, saying he will give Jasper's father a call after they finish up.
Unfortunately, as the classroom door opens to let the other children out, a very annoyed principal Davies strides in. "Myers, how long is that going to take? Mister Cash is on his way and I imagine he's as fed up as we are."
"It won't be long sir, don't worry. About… ten minutes?" Myers glances up from a particularly tricky jagged alignment. Davies groans.
"We don't have ten minutes. Look, finish up that wing, then put the pieces in a bag. Jasper, you'll have to finish this at home I'm afraid." Davies looks apologetically at Jasper, who nods in morose understanding. They tidy up quickly and go back to Davies' office, where an irate Julius Cash is pacing aggressively past a stony Isaac Shepard.
"I'm telling you Shepard, it's that boy of yours. Mason was behaving impeccably before he got here. You hear me? Impeccably." Julius scowls at Isaac, who looks at him impassively. If not for their difference in rank, Isaac would've gladly put the other man's teeth down his throat. Sadly, he still hadn't heard back about alternative assignments.
"Gentlemen, please. Let's keep this civil. Now, Mason has been the one to instigate—"
"Bull. Shepard's kid is the cause of all this, I bet he's— Oh, come on." Julius glares menacingly at Jasper, who is clutching the bag holding his precious model in a white knuckled grip. "A toy? That's what this is all about?" He turns to face Myers. "You pull my kid out of class over some lump of plastic? Why are you even bothering with show and tell? You're supposed to be teaching, not holding some stupid pageant."
"Mister Cash, I respectfully remind you that we can take further action if necessary. Your son has been antagonizing poor Jasper since he got here. Mister Shepard, have you heard anything different? Surely if he were causing Mason grief, he'd trust his own father to be in on the joke."
Isaac shakes his head mirthlessly. "Well sir, if he is doing some puppeteering, he ain't telling me. Look, we've only got a couple weeks left, why don't we just calm down, and stay out of each other's hair?" Isaac tries to smile diplomatically at Julius. His grit teeth aren't very convincing.
"Like anything could stay out of those rats' nests of yours. Look, tell your kid to stay the hell away from Mason, and I'll consider us square. Otherwise, I'll have to talk to your CO. Got it?" Julius offers his hand to Isaac, who shakes reluctantly. Julius squeezes harder than necessary, though it only seems to annoy Isaac. "Good. Now come long Mason, we'll play catch when we get back home."
"Awesome. Thanks, dad." Mason sneers smugly at Jasper, who glares at him in open frustration. Mason swiftly exits the room with his head held high. Davies scoffs once he's out of earshot.
"That little toe rag is pushing me too far. Mister Shepard, I'm—"
"Don't. Look, is there any way that Jasper can just take the end of the year tests and pass? We can't do this anymore." Isaac looks at the two with a heavy frown, his own frustration also plain to see. Davies and Myers look at each other and nod after a fashion.
"Mister Shepard, we would be delighted if Jasper could join us tomorrow to do just that. Unfortunately, he'll have to miss the graduation party."
"That's okay. I just wanna go home, sir." Jasper looks relieved to know it will all be over soon. The three men look at each other sadly. No child should be so eager to isolate himself. Jasper had been such a social butterfly before Mason had come onto the scene.
"Very well then. We'll see you tomorrow, Jasper, Mister Shepard." Davies waves as the two make their way out of his office.
"Finally. Alright, sport, let's get home and do some mechanical repairs. We'll have the Peloncillo up and at 'em in no time." Jasper nods eagerly and rushes to race his father to the shuttle. On the way home, he thinks about how, despite the circumstances, it's kind of fun to put his ship back together again.
May 19th, 2161 CE
"Alright sport, I want you to be good for your ma, ya hear?" Isaac ruffles his son's hair again, tangling it further while Jasper giggles.
"Sure thing, pa. I'll be the best." Jasper smiles brightly.
"Good. Alright darling, I guess you two will be off. I'll call as soon as I can." Isaac kisses his wife, prompting a scrunching of the face from his son.
"Alright, be careful, dear." Hannah smiles sadly as her husband exits into the airlock. She is glad to know her son is safe from that bully she's heard about, but her husband must now contend with the little beast's father alone. Sighing, she turns to smile beatifically down at her son. "Schatz, warum erzählst du mir nicht, was du vorhast? Ich glaube, sie servieren heute Hamburger in der Messe."
Jasper shouts in excitement and tugs at her arm, eager to see if it's true. With a laugh, Hannah allows him to pull her along. Hopefully, her posting to the colony on Benning will do them both some good over the next few years.
July 5th, 2165 CE
"Schatz, wenn du nicht anfängst, deine Haare zu kämmen, müssen wir anfangen, sie kürzer zu schneiden." Hannah eyes her son's messy bedhead apprehensively as they make their way to where the SSV Winnipeg is currently docking. Jasper blows a few blonde strands out of his eyes, eyeing his mother's ponytail enviously.
"Ich weiß nicht, wie du deine so gerade hältst, Ma. Ich habe das von dir, weißt du." Jasper mutters through reddened cheeks. Hannah sighs and rubs his shoulder, pulling him into a loose embrace as they walk past the officers on their rounds.
"Die Knäuel sind von deinem Vater; Du hast nur meinen Schatten. Wenn Sie einsteigen, möchte ich, dass Sie direkt zu den Toiletten gehen und sich kämmen, ja?" She glances at her son sternly, who pouts. With another sigh she releases him and straightens her posture. Soon they arrive at the hanger bay and catch sight of the cruiser, the last of its crew boarding as they approach.
"Ma?"
"Ja?"
"Könnte ich nicht einfach bleiben –?"
"Nein." Jasper slumps, his breath hitching. Hannah also stops and turns, grasping his shoulders. "Jasper. Ich liebe dich." Jasper looks up and frowns, opening his mouth to object. Hannah tightens her grip and leans forward, switching to English. "You aren't listening. I'm saying… I would love nothing more than to have you with me, schatz. But it is too dangerous for a child to be on a warship. I'll try to get us stationed together again soon, but until then, you need to behave for your father. Things are tense enough on Mindoir as it is. Understand?"
Jasper stares into his mother's eyes defiantly for but a moment. Then, tears begin to fall down his cheeks. He hugs her tightly. "I love you too, I'll miss you." Hannah returns the embrace fully, her own tears held back by years of discipline and practice.
"So will I, schatz." They part reluctantly as Hannah sees the officer in charge of boarding looking at them suspiciously. "Now, you must go. Your father is waiting for you on the ship." Jasper looks at her sadly, wiping away his tears on his sleeve. Then, he picks up his luggage and walks past her towards the Winnipeg. She smiles bittersweetly as she watches her son walk aboard the very ship he was born onto. The airlock door opens and Isaac pokes out his head, offering her an exuberant wave with a sad smile. She returns the wave, watching as he corrals their son past the doors, making a joke to the nearby officer if the man's smile is anything to go by. Once the door closes again, she turns away, walking towards her own way off the station. She hoped they would make it safely.
February 4th, 2168 CE
Jasper stares numbly down at his datapad, his eyes wide and face slack with shock. What he's reading doesn't make any sense to him. It's the journal of one of his father's early ancestors, a conquistador from Cortez' campaigns in the Americas. The passage, roughly translated, describes the satisfaction the man feels for having slain several priests and nobles, seizing their gold jewelry for the enrichment of the Spanish crown. How can someone take so much joy in murdering civilians? Jasper didn't know soldiers to be so callous or cruel.
"Hey sport, I was wondering if you— Oh. Bad time?" Isaac looks at him with a worried frown. When Jasper had decided to do his paper on their families' military service through history, he'd been afraid this might happen. His son was an idealist, and history clearly wasn't living up to his standards. A tough lesson, but it would do him good in the long run, Isaac was sure of it. Jasper looks up at him slowly.
"Sorry pa, it's just that I was expecting… I don't know what I was expecting. Just, not this. What were you saying?" Isaac holds up his omni tool and projects a map.
"I was asking if you wanted to try that new pizza place that they put on the far side of the colony. I've heard good things, and you could use the chow." Jasper huffs.
"I keep telling you pa, you don't need to fatten me up. I'm doing just fine. Coach will vouch for me." Isaac rolls his eyes.
"Sure, they will. Look sport, just because you can run a mile in 6 minutes don't mean you shouldn't bulk up. I know you like that track stuff, but I still think that football—"
"Pa." Jasper glares at him accusingly. Isaac relents, holding up his hands placatingly.
"Alright. Have it your way. I'll go see if that vegan place is still open. Just remember to take a break if you need to, okay sport?" Jasper rolls his eyes and mutters an affirmative. Isaac chuffs and leaves him to his reading.
February 18th, 2168 CE
"And then he just threw on this stupid pillowcase and!"
"Babe, you promised." Mason grumbles into his ear. Jasper flushes and puts down the datapad guiltily.
"I'm sorry, it's just… Hard, you know?" Jasper turns to eye his, well, he doesn't know what Mason is. Ever since their reunion two years ago, the other teen has been a bit of a contradiction. One that is starting to rub him in all the wrong ways.
"So, our ancestors were shitheads. Doesn't mean we have to dwell on it. Not like we did anything. You said you'd make time for me after all that reading, so I expect a little attention." Mason glowers at him, prompting a sigh. Jasper hates when Mason gets like this. He gives him a kiss anyways. Maybe it'll calm him down. When he pulls away, Mason fists some of his shoulder length hair. "What was that? You didn't even try to do it right." So much for that plan. Mason pulls him back, roughly shoving his tongue past his lips and grabbing his hip harshly.
After a few minutes of awkward groping and kissing, the two teens freeze as the sound of heavy footfalls draws near. "Shit." Mason roughly pushes him away, and both try to straighten their clothes before the door opens.
"Shepard. Thought I heard some tussling going on. You messing with my boy?" Julius Cash has only grown rougher with age. He's also bitter that Isaac Shepard has recently come to match him in rank. A nasty combination for the youngest Shepard to contend with.
"No sir, just studying for that paper, sir." Jasper maintains eye contact, careful to keep his face blank. After a tense few moments, Julius nods.
"Good. Now Mason, I expect you down for dinner in ten. Get your guest out of the house by then. You can study again next week or something." He shuts the door hard behind him without waiting for a response. Mason glares and the door and mutters a few choice cusses. Jasper shifts uncomfortably. He doesn't like having to hide whatever they have like this.
"Guess I better pack up. I've got to finish this section so I can move on." As Jasper puts away his things, Mason looks at the wall pensively. After a fashion, he turns to Jasper.
"Babe. I don't like that paper you're doing. Not one bit. Can't you just drop some of it?" Jasper freezes, then looks back at Mason with a cautious stare.
"No. I've already decided that—" Mason seizes him roughly by the shoulders.
"You're not the only one with that kind of thing in the family, you know. My dad is real proud of our heritage, and it wasn't all that bad. I'm not saying you can't do it on your family, but why don't you just ditch the confederate relatives? That way I can still tell dad that—" Jasper shakes him off and shoots him a hard glare.
"No, Mason. What those men fought for was awful. I can't just ignore it. And I'm certainly not going to let you glorify them just to please your dad." Mason opens his mouth angrily to protest, but Jasper presses a hand over it. "I haven't asked for much out of this, other than a little peace and quiet. But you've been pushing your luck lately. If you keep this up, we're through. Understand?"
Mason's eyes blaze with anger. He wrenches Jasper's hand from his mouth and snarls. Jasper rips his arm out of Mason's grip, wrinkling his nose. The two stand up from the bed, their fists clenching, when the sound of footsteps comes near again. Jasper reacts first, grabbing his bag and shouldering it.
"This isn't over, Shepard." Mason hisses, before brusquely walking to the door and ripping it open. Jasper marches out with his head held low, to keep from agitating the older man down the hall. Julius smirks as he watches the sullen boy walk down the stairs and out the door. He doesn't know why Mason keeps that pipsqueak around, but it's always nice to see the riff raff put firmly into their place. Ah, to be young and free again.
"Alright, boy. Soup's done, come wash up."
March 4th, 2168 CE
"No." Jasper glares hard at his omni tool, voice dripping acidly. Since their last meet up, Mason has been utterly insufferable. He's always pestering Jasper to drop his father's confederate relatives from his paper, or to at least soften up their image. He's not going to give in just to earn some imaginary brownie points with Mason's dumbass dad. And now he's asking him to ditch his Pa on his 37th birthday, just because his dad wants him over to help him study.
"But, babe—" Mason whines.
"Don't you 'but, babe' me. You know how special today is to me. How can you even ask that?" Jasper's eyes narrow further. Mason growls on the other end of the comm. Jasper scoffs.
"Look, dad is really starting to lighten up on you. You just need to follow my lead and then—"
"Forget it. Today is always special for us. I'm not going anywhere. And stop asking about my paper. For the last time, I'm not changing anything." Mason hisses something under his breath, probably more cusses. Jasper rolls his eyes.
"You can't do this to me. If you don't come over here, my dad'll be pissed. And you're changing that damn paper. If you don't, he'll never accept—" Pa calls out for him from downstairs, and Jasper's had enough. Of this tired conversation, of sneaking around, and of Mason's constant need to appease his father no matter how Jasper feels about things.
"Fine then. Consider us done." Jasper hangs up the comm with a sniff, cutting off Mason's angry sputtering. He blocks his frequency for good measure. Turning off the tool, he takes a deep breath and feels his cheeks dampen. Damn. His chest hurts, but he tells himself that this will be good for both of them. Mason needs to learn how to respect boundaries, and Jasper needs some time to himself. Pa knocks quietly on the doorframe.
"Hey sport. Need a minute?" Pa looks at him sadly. Jasper suspects that he's known about his sneaking around, but since he hasn't said anything, he probably doesn't know it's with Mason. He would've never let that slide. Jasper closes his eyes and breathes again. His tears peter out, and he opens them again with a forced smile.
"Nah. I'm good. Let's go blow out your candles. You could probably use the help." Isaac gasps in mock offense, hand clutching his chest.
"Why, I never! Who do you think you are, bullying your elders? Didn't I teach you manners, young man?" Jasper belts out a laugh and stands up. Isaac meets him halfway in a bearhug. Jasper returns it enthusiastically. Father and son just stand there for a while, basking in each other's warmth, before Isaac leans back. "But if you're offering, I suppose I could use the help eating it all. Not like you're lacking for space." He winks. Jasper groans and lets his forehead hit his Pa's shoulder.
April 16th, 2168 CE
Jasper shouts as he puts his all into the final punch on the poor sandbag. It swings around joltingly as he pants, wiping away the sweat from his brow. He's been exercising relentlessly for the last couple of hours to blow off some of his built-up steam. Since their 'breakup' Mason has been relentless. He's been spreading rumors that Jasper will throw it down for anyone brave enough to ask, and now people are comming him at random. He's also been trying to get him alone nonstop. Thankfully, Jasper is still faster than him, physically and mentally. Still, Mason is escalating, and Jasper can't help but worry about the day he can't avoid a direct confrontation. The disturbing revelations of his mother's ancestral military history during the Second World War are just the cherry on top of the rancid shit sundae. Hence, the impromptu boxing practice. Pa is excited at for him least, applauding from the weight bench.
"Good job, sport! You'd knock anyone silly with that kinda hook!" He rises from the bench and walks over, smacking his hand down firmly on Jasper's shoulder to give it a hearty shake. "Now, how about some rassling?"
"Alright, let me get this tape off, pa." Jasper grasps the end of the thread, pulling to loosen it. Pa's grip tightens.
"On second thought, maybe we should do that at home. Come on, let's—"
"Shepard! What a surprise. I didn't expect your boy to be out and about. Hey Mason, come look! It's your buddy." Julius leers viciously at Jasper as Mason starts strutting over, his face contorted into a bitter frown. "Say, why don't we let these two chat for a bit? It's been ever so long." Julius' tone is syrupy sweet. Isaac clenches his fists.
"No thanks. We were just on our way home. Weren't we sport?" Isaac glances at Jasper, who nods back firmly.
"Yes sir, we were." Jasper turns on his heel and grabs his bag, then he feels a bruising grip on his bicep. Mason growls in his ear.
"We're not finished Shepard, not by a long shot." Mason yelps when Isaac pinches him on the side, loosening his grip enough for Jasper to wrench his arm free and put some distance between them.
"Shepard! What the fuck do you think you're doing putting hands on my boy?" Julius snarls. Isaac blinks back innocently.
"Well, it seems to me he was looking for some roughhousing. I'm sorry son, did I do it too hard? I'm ever so sorry." Julius marches forward, his shoulders hunching, but stops abruptly at the sight of Jasper's glowing omni tool.
"What are you doing, boy?" Julius glares suspiciously at the device.
"Just comming my ma, is all. Is that a problem, sir?" Jasper raises his brows in mock worry. Julius growls.
"Mason. Let's go crunch some metal. We'll deal with them later." He stalks off towards the now vacant bench. Mason looks at Jasper with open frustration, his eyes shining, before turning away to join his father on the neighboring bench.
The two Shepards make their way out of the gym and down the street to their home, where Isaac offers Jasper a high five. "Good thinking sport. I really didn't need to have it out right now. The CO is considering transferring me to your mother's ship once your semester finishes. Now, I believe I owe you some time on the mat, first one to the closet gets to pick dinner." Jasper gleefully breaks into a sprint.
"Another day saved by sweet, sweet tech." He murmurs as he grasps the door handle.
May 26th, 2168 CE
Jasper sighs tiredly as he feels Mason's wintry gaze on him. He's just finished reading his paper. He'd held nothing back.
"That was very… educational, Jasper. Now class, does anyone have any questions?" Mason's hand shoots up aggressively. Jasper valiantly holds back a groan.
"Yes, Mason?" Asks Ms. Fielding.
"I wanna know why he's using such shoddy sources ma'am. The Confederate States of America fought for states' rights, not…" Jasper is already tuning Mason out. He begins to ponder if the other boy is ever going to let up and leave him alone. They'd already put their business to bed, so he may as well just let it go already.
"…sper? Jasper. Jasper!" Miss Fielding snaps her fingers in front of his eyes and Jasper jolts, looking at her guiltily. He'd fallen into his own head. Mason is glaring even harsher now.
"See? He's an airhead ma'am! He doesn't know what he's talking about!" Mason jabs his finger threateningly at Jasper, who stares back coolly.
"I know what I'm talking about Mason. I've read their journals thoroughly. They're not exactly out of form for confederate troops." Jasper tries to keep his voice even, but the frustration leeks into his tone all the same. Miss Fielding huffs.
"Now Jasper, there's no need to look down your nose when talking to other students. Mason, I don't appreciate you calling him names, either. Both of you, apologize." The two mutter reluctant apologies to one another. Miss Fielding smiles placatingly. "Now Mason, Jasper did answer your question. He's using primary sources from his own family records. He's got no reason to lie to us."
"But my family didn't—" Mason's hackles rise, angry that Miss Fielding isn't taking his side.
"I didn't say they did, and neither did Jasper. While it's true that many confederate troops fought for the preservation of slavery, that doesn't mean they all did." She gives Jasper a warning glace. He bites his tongue, only mostly metaphorically. Mason leans back, looking pensive. After a moment, he nods.
"Alright, I guess that makes sense. Thank you, ma'am." He keeps staring at Jasper, promising retribution. Jasper straightens, steeling himself for the possible confrontation. Miss Fielding asks if there are any other takers, and a few raise their hands. This time Jasper does quietly groan. After answering some very uncomfortable questions as diplomatically as he can, he returns to his seat.
For the rest of class, Jasper is subtly packing up, so that he can leave right as the bell rings. Mason is never ready to pack until it does, and he'll appreciate the distance. Sure enough, when Miss Fielding dismisses them, Jasper is the first out the door, not even bothering to pay attention as Mason begins cussing angrily behind him.
May 27th, 2168 CE
"Look Shepard, I ain't saying your boy can't say whatever he likes, he just can't run out on an honest conversation is all." Julius Cash bothers to look slightly apologetic, for what it's worth. Which is very little, considering he wants Mason and Jasper to 'have it out like men' and just won't leave it alone.
Isaac pinches the bridge of his nose tiredly, looking at both Cashes from under his dark lashes. "What's there to even talk about? Jasper said his piece already. Mason sure isn't going to change his mind."
"Don't go assuming what my son can or can't do, Shepard." Julius sneers, learning forward to place his hands on the coffee table. "You'd be surprised by how persuasive he can be."
Isaac glances at Jasper, who has to learn to settle these disputes for himself. He throws up his hands in a shrug. "You know what? Have it your way."
Jasper's eyes widen and he turns his head to his father so fast he swears he cracks it. "What? Pa, I don't—"
Julius chuckles darkly. "About time you came around, Shepard. There was an opening to rent that sparring room at the back of the gym. I took the liberty of doing just that." He dangles a key mockingly from his fingers. Jasper hisses under his breath and eyes Julius from the side. He really hates this man. Mason grins broadly and stands to his full height.
"Shall we?" He purrs, offering his hand to Jasper. Jasper scowls and slaps it away, rising quickly and ducking past him. Mason grunts and spins to face him, his hard eyes set angrily.
Julius pats Mason's back and mutters. "Soon."
Isaac shrugs and stands. "Alright, let's get this over with. Come on, sport." The four of them march down the street to the gym. Once inside, Jasper and Mason go to separate ends of the locker room, taping their hands and changing into workout gear. Julius and Isaac watch impassively, occasionally shooting each other a nasty glare. Once the teens are ready, their fathers herd them into the room, locking the door behind them.
Mason grins maniacally, rhythmically cracking his knuckles. "Can't run from me anymore, princess."
"Princess? That's the best you can do?" Jasper looks at him bemusedly, already shifting into a low stance. Mason growls and throws a hook, which Jasper neatly ducks before throwing one of his own, catching Mason on the broad side of his jaw. Mason staggers back, blinking rapidly. Jasper rears back and throws himself into a chasing jab, catching Mason in the stomach. Mason grunts and sputters, leaning forwards. Jasper finishes his assault by leaning back and throwing an uppercut. It connects, and knocks Mason flat on his ass. The bigger boy groans on the ground, while Jasper shunts himself back a few steps, wary of any possum posturing. It's a smart play, as Mason rises a few seconds later, shaking himself and growling lowly. Mason goes back into stance, and tenses for a jab. Jasper ducks instinctively, realizing too late that it's a feint. Mason roars as he tackles Jasper to the ground, quickly rearing back and slamming a fist into Jasper's eye, and then throws the other hand swiftly into his cheek. The world starts ringing, and his vision goes blurry, but Jasper thinks fast. He wraps his arms around Mason's shoulders, pulls him closer, and bites down hard. Mason howls.
"Argh! Shepard, you bitch!" Mason manages to free himself, a vibrant red bite mark stretching across his right pec. He gropes at it uselessly, hissing and cussing. Jasper grimaces, revealing stained teeth as he takes full advantage of the opening. He grabs Mason's free wrist, throwing his leg over Mason's shoulder, and catches him in an armbar. He wrenches with everything he's got. Mason screams as his arm painfully extends beyond its limits. Jasper feels a pang of sadness at the sound of Mason's agony. It didn't have to come to this, he thinks. The door slams open. Jasper whips his head to face it, wrenching harder to ensure Mason doesn't escape. Julius is barreling towards him at full pelt, and Jasper freezes as his boot comes hurtling towards him. Jasper's world goes dark.
"Y… S…. ID… MOTHERFUCKER!" Jasper comes to with a gasp for air. He can't make out anything in his blurry vision, and through the ringing in his ears, all he hears is shouting. He blinks, and feels the sharp sting of pain in his eye, as well as from his forehead. Something warm is dripping down into his eyes and the bridge of his nose, stinging his eyes, and obscuring the world further. He hears a heavy thud, and stutteringly turns his face to the left, where he sees the vague outline of a person squirming, clutching at their mouth. The next thing he feels is someone pulling his head to face forwards. He barely registers it as his pa, looking at him with a wild look in his eyes. Pa's mouth is moving, and he strains to comprehend him.
"…right. You … me? It's gonna… alright." Pa's wrapping his jacket around his head now, and Jasper barely feels it. The ringing fades, but so does pa's voice. His eyelids feel so heavy. Pa is jostling him, mouth moving frantically. A man appears behind him, worry on his face. He grabs pa, pulls him away. Jasper closes his eyes, and fades away.
May 29th, 2168 CE
Beeping. Voices. Light. Jasper jolts awake. He looks around quickly, eyes darting around the small hospital room until he sees a doctor, who looks at him with a sad smile. His left eye vaguely aches, and creasing his brow seems to tug at something in his forehead.
"Hey there. Take it easy. You've been out a couple of days now." Jasper's eyes widen as he remembers the fight with Mason. He's in such deep—
"Oh. Hello ma'am, he's only just woken up, so—" Shit. The doctor cuts themself off as another woman, decked out in Alliance blues, glares at them harshly. Jasper swallows thickly.
"Jasper Shepard?" The woman turns her harsh gaze towards him.
"Yes, ma'am. What's—" She holds up a hand, and he snaps his jaw shut.
"Your father is in a holding cell awaiting a disciplinary hearing. That other boy we found you with is with his father across the hall. I need to know what happened, and I don't want any excuses or lies. Am I understood?" Her voice is low, her eyes promising pain.
Jasper shakingly nods his head once. He explains in detail what he can remember, and tries to provide as much context as he can, there's no use hiding anything now. She listens and occasionally writes something down on a datapad.
"I see. Thank you. I'll come back to let you know how it goes if your father doesn't. Doctor." She nods to the doctor on her way out. The doctor wrings their hands, clearly uncomfortable. Jasper feels bad about this entire situation. He should've handled this himself, before things got out of hand. Pa was right, he couldn't run from everything. Guiltily, he looks to the doctor.
"How bad is it, doctor?" They jolt, then offer him a gentle smile and pick up their datapad.
"You were very lucky. You had a minor concussion and needed some stitches. Though it could've been a lot worse. We'll be keeping you for a couple more days to make sure there aren't any complications." Jasper wants to protest, thinking of his father sitting alone in a cell, but refrains. It wouldn't do any good. With a sigh, he asks if it's alright if he asks some questions about what kind of tests the doctor is running on him with their omni tool. They shrug and begin to explain the basics of their scanning processes. Jasper listens as attentively as possible, soaking up the information. After an hour or so, a nurse fetches the doctor. He recommends that Jasper get more rest. Seeing no reason not to, he shrugs and closes his eyes, allowing the world to fade away once more.
June 6th, 2168 CE
Jasper cries as he hugs his mother for the first time in three years. Hannah Shepard cries too, having finally gotten leave to bring her son aboard the SSV Einstein until he could attend the military academy on Arcturus Station in the fall. Isaac's hearing had gone relatively well. His father had taken a demotion, and a reassignment. Julius Cash would resume patrols on the outskirts of the colony, while Isaac is going onto the security detail for the SSV Carrhae. Though they saw each other at the hearing, Jasper and Mason never spoke. Jasper couldn't tell if the other teen was biding his time or truly had come around to leaving him alone. While he's sad to leave his father's side, he's also thankful that this mess is over. Hopefully he won't see Mason again for a good while.
"Jasper. Ab sofort kein unnötiges Kämpfen mehr. Wenn Sie eine andere Wahl haben, versprechen Sie mir, dass Sie sie nehmen werden. Ich will nicht … ich kann nicht … einfach. Versprich mir." Jasper shakily nods and rests his still stitched forehead on her shoulder.
"Ja Ma, keine dummen Kämpfe mehr." She huffs and kisses his brow. She mutters that they'll be cutting his hair shorter from now on and he groans. She also starts murmuring how she's going to start teaching him how to ward off the bad boys and find the good ones. Jasper wishes the ground would swallow him up. "Ma, können wir nicht über etwas anderes reden?"
Hannah sighs patiently and looks down at her son. "Bußgeld. Wir sollten wahrscheinlich auf Englisch umstellen, ihnen zuliebe." She glances at her annoyed crew mates, clearly eager to get in on the gossip. "Alright, out with it."
"So kid, how did it feel to win your first fight? Heard you got some moves." A man his mother introduces as Zabaleta smirks wryly at Jasper, flexing for emphasis. Jasper eyes him coolly.
"Well sir, I didn't really win, so I can't answer your question. I'm just glad I don't have to do that again." Zabaleta rolls his eyes good naturedly.
"You really are your momma's boy then. She hates sparring too. If you ever change your mind about that, stop by the cargo bay. I can teach you a trick or two so you don't go knocking heads with boots again." Hannah's eyes narrow to slits at the insensitive ribbing, and Zabaleta nervously raises his hands and retreats to the elevator, probably to hide in the men's room until the heat is off.
"Smart man…" Jasper murmurs. Hannah Shepard didn't care for fighting, but she was damn good when it came down to it.
"That is up for debate." Hannah wrinkles her nose. "Anyone else want to offer my son congratulations for his 'victory'?" The CIC falls quiet. Hannah surveys the room, then pulls Jasper towards the elevator. "Come, we need to give you the tour." Jasper smiles.
"Can we start with engineering? I've read that these carriers often…" As Jasper rambles on about his research, Hannah allows herself a smile. Her son's enthusiasm for new technologies was always refreshing, she hoped it would serve him well. Still, her thoughts drift to her husband, if only his temper didn't get in the way so much… Well, there was nothing for it. Raising her head high, she punches the number into the elevator console, and turns her thoughts to the future. Something is coming. Soon. She can feel it in her gut.
Author's Notes
Thank you for your time. :) If you have any thoughts, any at all, please post them in the comments. I'm relatively rusty at writing in general so any feedback is a treasure.
Translations:
Schatz, warum erzählst du mir nicht, was du vorhast? Ich glaube, sie servieren heute Hamburger in der Messe. = Now honey, why don't you tell me about what you've been up to? I think they're serving hamburgers in the mess today.
Schatz, wenn du nicht anfängst, deine Haare zu kämmen, müssen wir anfangen, sie kürzer zu schneiden. = Honey, if you don't start combing your hair, we'll have to start cutting it shorter.
Ich weiß nicht, wie du deine so gerade hältst, Ma. Ich habe das von dir, weißt du. = I don't know how you keep yours so straight ma. I get this from you, ya know.
Die Knäuel sind von deinem Vater; Du hast nur meinen Schatten. Wenn Sie einsteigen, möchte ich, dass Sie direct zu den Toiletten gehen und sich kämmen, ja? = The tangles are from your father; you only have my shade. Now, when you board, I want you to head straight to the restrooms and comb, yes?
Könnte ich nicht einfach bleiben –? = Couldn't I just stay—?
Jasper. Ich liebe dich. = Jasper, I love you.
Verstehst du? = Do you understand?
Jasper. Ab sofort kein unnötiges Kämpfen mehr. Wenn Sie eine andere Wahl haben, versprechen Sie mir, dass Sie sie nehmen werden. Ich will nicht … ich kann nicht … einfach. Versprich mir. = Jasper. From now on, no more unnecessary fighting. If you have any other choice, promise me that you'll take it. I don't want to… I can't… Just. Promise me.
Ja Ma, keine dummen Kämpfe mehr. = Yes ma, no more stupid fights.
Ma, können wir nicht über etwas anderes reden? = Ma, can't we talk about something else?
Bußgeld. Wir sollten wahrscheinlich auf Englisch umstellen, ihnen zuliebe. = Fine. We should probably switch to English, for their sake.
I get my translations from google, I'm sorry if they're not reliable, and mean no offense in their usage. If it is a problem, let me know, and I'll change them to English with italics to signify the use of a foreign language.