"But did I tell my daddy when he got home?" Jasper gave a soft sad laugh. "As if. Now, don't get me wrong, Papa, I did have every intention of telling him. I really did, but over the course of that walk home, I got to thinking thoughts that weren't very good. As grown up as I felt, I knew that my Pa viewed me very differently. I also knew that if he was to find out that I had ditched school, I wasn't going to be sitting anytime soon and that is a very sobering thought, to say the least."

Carlisle's solider boy sighed at the memories that played in his head.

"Were you at least truthful when your father confronted you?"

A corner of his mouth turned up in a half smile. "Now, why would you think that he eventually confronted me?"

"Just seems like the logical course of action," Carlisle spoke softly as he leaned a bit back in his seat.

"Well, Papa, you are so very rarely wrong that I'm going to have to mark this date on the calendar." Jasper's smirk grew. "My father didn't confront me about skipping school, but he most certainly did find out."

"From your brothers or from your friend's father?"

Jasper shook his head. "My brothers were always good on their word. They would have never told my dad a thing. It's not that they were defiant or anything like that. They just took pride in always keeping their word; we all did. A Whitlock's word is his bond and we learned from my father to take that extremely seriously." The youth's chest swelled up with pride. "No, it wasn't my brothers, but it wasn't Mr. Casey either." He gave a quiet sigh before disclosing, "It was Zach."

Carlisle cocked his head to the side as confusion shone brightly in his eyes. "How did that happen?"

"It was a couple of days later when my father went to get some feed for the stock. Part of Zach's punishment was to help out at the Feed and Seed, so he was loading Pa up when he tripped and fell; landed dead center on his ass.

Well naturally, he jumped up yelping for all he was worth and my Dad was worried that he had hurt himself. While helping him up and making sure he was alright, it came out that Zach's malady was just a sore behind brought on from a strapping he got the day 'Jasper and I' decided to skip school and go fishing." Jasper created quotation marks in the air with his fingers as he rolled his eyes, causing Carlisle to chuckle softly. "Yep, my friend was not the brightest star in the sky." The boy let out an exasperated sigh.

Shaking his head slightly, Jasper looked up at his father. "My Pa was always a clever one and never let on that he had even heard what Zach said. That kept Zach from realizing his slip up and giving me a heads up, so I went on for several more days just completely blissfully unaware that my father had any knowledge of my shenanigans.

My Pa did start making a point of asking me about what I was learning in school. He was interested in my homework and offered to help me with it."

Jasper suddenly glanced away from Carlisle as his embarrassment at his misconduct from so long ago showed on his face. Clearing his throat he continued in a slightly weaker tone.

"Well, Papa, the biggest problem in all of that was the fact that I hadn't stepped foot in the school house since that first fishing day. I would go off and spend the day doing other things, then meet up with my brothers on their way home." With a quiet cough, he looked up into his father's soft nonjudgmental eyes. "I was just piling up lie on top of lie."

Carlisle let out a held breath as he shook his head sadly. "In your father's place, I would have given you a great deal of incentive to never even consider lying as a viable option again."

Jasper laughed at Carlisle's statement. "I wouldn't expect anything less, Papa, but believe me, I got all the incentive anyone ever needed and then some. By allowing my lies to snowball, Pa assured that he had more than enough reason to hang me out to dry and that I had enough fuel to feed my guilty conscience as well.

The guilt was bad. It got to the point that I was having trouble sleeping. When I would split off from my brothers and go my own way, I began to take less and less enjoyment out of my adventures. Exploring, riding, fishing... none of it was any fun any longer; it was just something to do to fill my time. It takes a lot of energy and effort to keep a lie alive and well, and this one was starting to wear on me.

One night, after tossing and turning for several hours I finally gave in and went to my parent's room. I just couldn't take my conscience riding me like that anymore. I knew how my Pa would react. I knew how disappointed and angry he would with me and I knew that my butt was fixin' to be hating on me something fierce." He fell silent for a moment as he looked at Carlisle then huffed out a sigh. "It took a healthy dose of courage to wake my Pa up, but I decided that being a man meant facing your fears. Boy, did I have some fears to face."


"Pa. Pa, ah need to tell you something."

"What's wrong, Son. Are you ailin'?" Catherine Whitlock sat up and gazed at her son standing still at the foot of the bed with his head slung low.

"In a way, Ma."

"Jasper, go back to bed. I'm sure that this can wait until morning." His father rolled over with a groaned.

"No, Pa, ah really need to talk to ya now. Ah don't think ah can last another minute."

Monroe sighed heavily as got up and sat on the side of his bed. Raking his hands through his dark unruly hair, he yawned then turned his attention to his young son who stood so grave and silent before him. "Alright, Jasper, what is this problem that can't wait?"

Jasper clasped his hands before him as he struggled with his nerves. "Pa, ah've done something that you and Ma are not gonna like one bit, but keepin' it from ya has just been a gnawin' at me and ah can't do it no mo."

His father seemed to come fully awake at those words. Inhaling deeply he nodded. "Go on, Son."

The boy's mouth went dry and his heart began to race. Despite the coolness of the night, sweat beaded up on his brow as he stood there shifting anxiously while his confession caught in his throat. Jasper's warm chestnut brown eyes sparkled in the faint moonlight as unbidden tears sprang into them.

"Ma. Pa. I haven't...You see..." He swallowed hard as his courage ebbed and flowed in useless endless waves. "It's school."

"What about school, sweetheart," his mother asked softly.

"They don't have anything there for me, Ma. Ah'm a man now and ah don't have time ta be playin' 'round with kid things anymo' like settin' in a school house while Miss Evans learns me things that are just plain useless to me."

Another sigh came from his father before he spoke, "If you want ta talk about school, we can do that tomorrow over breakfast. Go on back ta bed, Jasper. I think that is enough foolishness for one night. I have a busy day tomorrow and I don't appreciate my son disturbin' my rest with this sorta foolishness."

"But, Pa."

"Don't you back talk me, son or I'll show you what that 'but Pa' will earn ya. Get your tail back to bed right now before I bust it for ya and then ya can git ta sleepin' on your belly."

"Pa, ah haven't been going to school," he blurted out rapidly before his nerve completely failed then began to visibly quake. He told himself that he was shivering because of the chilled night air, but Jasper knew better and the dark look in his father's eyes further fueled his fear.

"Go. Back. To. Bed. Boy. We'll be discussin' this come morning. Since ya aren't interested in learnin' in class, I'm inclined to let you stay home tomorrow and I'll be doin' some teachin' myself. After you're done with ya morning chores I'll be expecting you to come find me so we can start ya lesson. . Now, git yourself out of here. Morning will be comin' soon enough."

Large tears rolled down Jasper's face at his father's words. "But Pa…."

Monroe grabbed his son's arm as he hauled himself out of bed and onto his feet. "I told you to do something, boy." His large hard hand connected violently with Jasper's backside causing the boy to yelp as he rose on his toes. "I don't like to have to repeat myself and ya know that well enough." The big man rained several more licks to his son's rear end before releasing his hold to grant the boy his freedom. "Bed, young man. Now. And stop your crying. That don't git you no sympathy from me."

With tears in his eyes, Jasper raced towards the room he shared with his brothers and threw himself onto his bed, rubbing his rump for all it was worth. Burying his face against his feather bed to help muffle his cries, Jasper wept quietly. His father almost never gave him or his siblings so much as a warning swat in front of anyone else, but now his mother had witnessed Jasper's spanking as well as his disgraceful display. The young wheaten haired boy felt humiliated as his tears soaked the cotton ticking sheet.

"Ah am a man, and a man shouldn't be getting a whoopin'. Who does he think he is to be treatin'me like that? Ah'll show 'im. Ah won't stand for it."

Fear and humiliation caused a dangerous thought to come to young Jasper's mind. He was a man and he would prove it. He would leave to live on his own. He knew how to make a shelter and he sure knew how to provide food for himself. Cooking it was a different matter, but Jasper was certain he would be able to do that well enough to get by. With a glance at his peacefully sleeping brothers, Jasper made up his mind.

Silent as a shadow, the boy slipped back out of his bed and walked over to the window. He wouldn't risk his father hearing him leave through the door. Grabbing up a few things that he might need, Jasper glanced back at his brothers. He would miss them, for sure, but hopefully life would see their paths cross again. Maybe once he was rich and successful, he would look them up and help them out. The boy gave a slight nod. Yep, that's what I'll do.

Hauling himself out the window the young Whitlock escaped into the still velvet darkness of the night ready to prove to the world that he was indeed a man and no one could control him any longer.


"Oh, Jasper." Carlisle's quiet tone was tinged with dismay at the boy's youthful antics. "Running never solves anything."

"I know that now, Papa, but at the time it sure seemed like the most reasonable solution to my problem. I sure didn't know how I was going to ever face my Ma after embarrassing myself by crying in front of her over just a couple of licks, and from my father's hand at that. My pride just wouldn't allow that. It was one thing if I'd been strapped, but just a warning spanking like that?" Jasper rolled his eyes. "I was made of stronger stuff and I had to find a way to prove it. I thought that if I could get out on my own and make a name for myself the memory of my disgrace would just vanish."

"And did it?"

Jasper snorted as he grinned slightly. "Well, hell no."

Carlisle shook his head, but smiled warmly. "So what did happen?"

"I lasted about a week on my own, but found that I really didn't have the skills I thought I did. Cooking was well beyond me; at least cooking anything that was remotely edible. So there I was too afraid to go home with my tail tucked between my legs from having failed to even get a foothold at taking care of myself. I figured my father would have been as disgusted with me as I was with myself. This big man out on his own who couldn't get a job because I was afraid of being found out and I was in a state because I wasn't self-sufficient. Wanna talk about taking a hit to the old ego. "

"What about those pecans you talked about?"

Jasper chuckled. "Wasn't the right season so I was a bit out of luck in the hunting and gathering department. I was a reasonably accomplished thief though, so I guess maybe I didn't do too badly gathering after all. A couple of pies went missing from neighbors' windowsills, but then I got a bit too cocky and daring." Jasper lowered his head ever so slightly as he continued. "Mrs. Casey had made a batch of fried chicken and the smell was just too much for me to pass up.

I knocked on the door, but no one answered so I let myself in. That heavenly aroma was like a siren's song to my empty rumbling stomach. Before I knew it, I found myself staring at a platter of golden brown goodness. Now days, that doesn't have any appeal, but back then…." Jasper's eyes glazed over at the memory before he shook his head to clear it. "Anyway, I was just starting to help myself to a couple pieces of chicken when I heard the door open."


"What in the Sam Hill is going on in here," a deep masculine voice boomed causing Jasper to nearly jump out of his skin. "Whitlock."

Spinning around on his heels in wide eyed terror, the youngster came face to face with a livid Gideon Casey.

Quickly dropping his would be meal, the fair haired boy made a mad dashed towards the door as he ducked around the large imposing man, but Gideon was just a little bit quicker.

Grasping the boy by the collar, he hauled a kicking and flailing Jasper back into the kitchen and roughly shoved him down into the nearest chair. "Your Ma and Pa have been besides themselves with worry, boy. Do ya have any idea what you have been putting them through?"

"Please Mr. Casey, Sah, Ah am mighty sorry. Just let me go and ah swear to ya, ya'll never see me again."

Jasper began to get up only to have the man's huge hand land heavily upon his shoulder to push him back down and hold him in place.

"Ya aint goin' anywhere jest yet, Son. Keep your keister in that there chair or I swear to the good Lord, I will take my belt to you before turning you over to your Pa for more of the same."

"Mr. Casey, please."

"Just settle yourself right down." Gideon gave the trembling boy a hard glare before sighing softly and shaking his head. "Jest look at ya." Taking in the full sight of Jasper's dirty unkempt appearance, the man groaned. "Looks like you have been having a rough go of it. Hungry?"

Jasper shook his head. As hungry as he had been moments before, the thought of eating now churned his stomach while he awaited some death sentence to befall him; a sentence that Gideon Casey didn't wait long to pronounce.

"Then there be no point in puttin' off what's to come, boy. Might as well be gettin' ya home."

"Ah can't go home."

"Why of course ya can go home."

"No, Sah, not after what ah done."

Gideon crossed his arms as he continued to stare at the boy, but his gruff voice softened slightly. "Son, the sooner you face what ya got comin' the sooner it will be done and ya can git back to normal."

"That's jest it, Ah can't face my Ma and Pa. Ah need to find a way to redeem myself before Ah can go home. Ah'm sure they won't even wanna look at me now." Jasper looked down at his clasped hands lying in his lap as he heaved a deep sigh. "Not as Ah can blame 'em one bit."

Gideon took hold of the boy's chin and tipped his head back to catch his eye. "Boy, let me tell ya sumthin', there aint nuthin' ya can do to make your Ma and Pa turn ya away. Nuthin'. Its aint no different with me and my boy. Ya messed up, but your Ma and Pa will always be there waiting for you with open arms. They love ya regardless and that aint gonna change. That's why they be worrying themselves sick over ya."

Jasper's brown eyes glistened with tears, but the expression on his face was one of hope.

"Do ya really think they'll have me back, Mr. Casey?"

"No, I don't think it at all; I know it, boy."

Jasper felt his cheeks flush as he allowed himself to hope that Mr. Casey was correct in his assumptions. A cold chill run up his spine at the thought of facing his father, but if he was being honest with himself, the thing Jasper wanted most right now was to be safe back at home.

"Mr. Casey, how much trouble do ya reckon Ah'm in right about now?"

Gideon rubbed his chin as he looked at the young boy thoughtfully. "I wouldn't want to be in your spot, boy, but you'll survive." The big man gave a little snort of a laugh. "Your Pa and I survived our childhoods and don't you think we didn't find ourselves in circumstances kinda like yours more than once. Every one of us has been there, boy, and we don't forget what it was like. Gotta think that it aint gonna be fun, but once everything is said and done things will be right as rain. That you can count on."

Though still visibly nervous, Jasper accepted the man's words with a nod.

"Come on, boy. Let's get ya home. Ya Ma is gonna be beyond excited to see you."


Catherine was trying to keep herself busy with housework to keep her mind off of her worries when the sound of a wagon pulling up in the yard drew her attention. Wiping her hands on a rag, she went to the door hoping that it was her husband with news of their son. Seeing Gideon Casey climbing down from the buckboard, she gave a disappointed sigh before noticing a second much smaller body swinging down from the wagon.

"Jasper! Oh my Lord, Jasper!" Racing towards her son, she enveloped him in her loving embrace as she kissed the top of his head while tears streamed down her cheeks. "Where have you been? Are you hurt? Oh my gracious just look at you. Never mind just thank the Lord that you're back home safe and sound." Looking up at Gideon, she quickly added, "Where did you find him?"

The gruff grizzled man leaned back against his wagon and crossed his arms. "Found him in my kitchen eyeing some of my wife's cookin'. Couple minutes later and I wouldn't have had any dinner tonight," he grumbled, but gave the frantic woman a wink.

"Jasper Whitlock." His mother pushed him back and held him out at arm's length with her hands on his shoulders as she gave him a piercing look. "You know better than that."

"It's alright, Cat. No harm done. Besides, that's how I managed to find 'im. It's a good thing I was blessed with my Martha and her irresistible cooking or we would still be searchin' for that little scoundrel." A rare smile crept across the man's weathered face as his green eyes glistened. "Is Monroe around?"

"He went into town hoping to get word that someone had seen Jasper." She pulled the boy back against her wrapping an arm tightly around him as she brushed away her tears.

"Hmm, I was heading into town myself. I'll see if I can catch up to him and send him home. I would like to have a few words with him. Make sure that boy of yours gets a couple of good whacks for trying to help himself to my grub."

"There is no need to worry about that, Gideon." Unconsciously she tightened her grip on her son. "Right now, little Mr. Jasper ought to be counting himself lucky that I'm not giving him a tanning myself."

Gideon laughed. "Nothin' quite as fierce as a protective mother. Worse when it comes down to having to protect her baby from himself." Pushing off the wagon, he stepped closer to mother and son. Reaching out, he ruffled Jasper's honey colored hair as he gave the boy a genuine smile. "You're lucky ta have such a caring Ma and Pa. Don't you ever forget that, boy."

"Ah won't, Sah."

"We will be forever in your debt, Gideon. Thank you for bringing our son back to us."

"It were nothin', Cat. Y'all would have done the same for me had it been Zach to get such a foolish notion. I'm just glad that it all worked out with a happy ending."

Jasper hung his head low as he muttered, "Not certain 'bout that endin' bein' none too happy."

Gideon crooked his finger and motioned to Jasper. "Come here, boy."

A little push from Catherine sent her son shuffling the few feet that it took to find him standing before his friend's father. Jasper shivered as he kept his eyes on the ground, too afraid of what he might see in the man's eyes.

Taking the boy's hands in his, Gideon crouched down until they were eye level then took a deep breath before speaking.

"Some days back ya told me that ya see yourself as a man. Well I'm here to tell ya that a man doesn't run from his problems. When he makes a mistake, he works at correcting it and he accepts the consequences without a lot of fussin'.

Ya wanna be a man, then how ya act now will be a big step in either the right or wrong direction; choice is yours, boy. I'm sure you'll make the right one."

Jasper nodded. "Ah'll try, Sah."

"I know that you will, boy." Letting go of Jasper's hands, Gideon stood back up and patted the youngster on his shoulder. "You'll be a fine young man, Whitlock, just like your Pa, but ya gotta give it time. Can't be expecting to grow up overnight." Taking a step back from the boy, Gideon gave Catherine a slight nod before reaching out to tip Jasper's head up. "You best mind your Ma or next time I see ya, I'll wear your behind out, you hear me?"

"Yes, Sah."

"Cat, I'm sure the lad is hungry. You might wanna feed him before Monroe gets home. I could be wrong, but I don't think your young'un is gonna have much of an appetite later on."

"I doubt that he has much of one now, but I'll see to it that he gets something in his stomach." Gathering her son to her, she aimed him towards the house and sent him on his way with a swat that brought up a cloud of dust from his backside. "I have some stew on the fire. Go get a bowl and I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Yes, ma'am." With his shoulders hunched and his head low, Jasper crossed the yard and disappeared into the house, leaving the adults to their discussion.


"Sounds like your friend's father was a wise man." Carlisle noted as Jasper halted in his retelling.

"That he was. He was a hard man; very no nonsense, but he was smart and would give you the shirt off his back if you were in need."

Carlisle took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before letting it out slowly. "Did he find your father?"

"Why yes, Sir, he most certainly did. Found my Pa, told him what had happened and, good to his word, sent him home with the request to give me a couple good licks for him." Jasper rubbed his sore behind, but it was the memory from so long ago that he was trying to rub away. "I know that your Pa wasn't the softest touch, Papa, but had you ever been switched?"

Carlisle shook his head. "Can't say that I ever was. I was birched and caned, which I have to think is similar, but I never had to endure a switch."

Jasper whistled low. "There is something about being handed a pocket knife and told to go cut the instrument of your impending doom that just makes it a hundred times worse." The younger blonde closed his eyes and groaned softly as he recalled what Carlisle had to assume was a most unpleasant experience. "We had several old hickory trees in the back of our property that were designated for just such use."

As he opened his eyes and looked directly at his father, Carlisle detected a glint of mischief in his son's eyes.

"My brothers and I managed to cut down one of the trees thinking that if we got rid of them our switchin' days would be over. Oh man, but did we catch hell for that one, but that is a completely different story." He laughed heartily as he ran his hand through his hair to brush it back out of his face. "That was well after this fiasco though so it was that old tree who came into play when it came time to teach this runaway truant thief a lesson."


AN: Y'all know, I think I might have been able to keep this to a one shot if Carlisle would stop asking questions. That's what keeps prolonging this. Guess it is a one shot that became a triple shot. *rolls eyes* Next chapter should see little Jazzy taking a long overdue trip out to the woodshed with his Pa.

Thanks everyone for the wonderful feedback. Y'all are the best. My deepest heartfelt thanks to the wondrous Splinter for her continual astounding ability to put up with me, all my typos and just plain stupid mistakes. My beta is truly a saint.

Now let's see if I can keep Jasper and Carlisle both under control long enough to wrap this sucker up in one more chapter. Miracles can happen.