Jim hurt everywhere. He limped his way out of the magical and exceptional animal department. He would have forgotten his tablet if Puss had not handed it to him on his way out the door. The only thing he wanted to do was get something to eat and to swing by the medical bay to see if they would give him something for his aching muscles.

Matt was leaning on a wall in the hallway waiting for him. He pushed off the wall and took Jim's tablet for him. "You doing okay?"

Jim nodded. "Yeah. I hurt some, but otherwise I'm alright."

Matt shoved his hand into his pocket. "Hang on. I got something for you." He pulled out a small piece of napkin and offered it to him. "I swung by med bay and told them I had a headache. Thought you might want these."

Jim accepted the two smuggled pills gratefully. He unwrapped them from the napkin as they walked. "Thanks man. You're the best." Jim swallowed the pills and washed them down with a quick swig from his canteen.

"I know." Matt said as he arrogantly lifted his chin. He caught Jim's eye. Both of them started to laugh. Matt smiled over at his friend. "Need a shower before dinner? I can fetch you a change of clothes while you wash up."

"Could you? Thank you!" Jim pulled off his badge and swapped it for Matt's. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Walk all the way to your room and be even later for dinner, duh." Matt shrugged off the gratitude. "But really, it's nothing. It's what friends do."

"Mind leaving my tablet in my room? I almost forgot it at service, I don't want to forget it at dinner."

"Yeah, I got you." Matt clipped Jim's badge into place and turned it so the back was facing forward. He reached over and flipped his own badge over so his name and picture faced towards Jim's body as well. "Watch that."

"Sorry. I'll be mindful." Jim headed for the closest showers. "Do you know if Braxton has finished up yet?"

Matt nodded. "Got off about ten minutes ago. He messaged me that he'd see us at dinner. He seems to be doing a bit better than you. 'Sides, he wasn't the one having to clean up horse poop all day."

Jim groaned. "Man, I wish that's what I was doing today. I spent my morning wrestling talking donkeys." Matt just laughed at him. Jim crossed his eyes at his friend and stuck out his tongue. Matt pulled a face back at him. Jim shoved him half heartedly.

Matt scanned Jim's badge to get them into the showers. "Alright. Go get clean. I'll be back soon with some clothes. Care what I bring you?"

"Not really. Anything clean. Just not that sweater my mom made me bring."

Matt gave him a wicked grin. "Lumpy striped sweater it is! Where'd you hide it this time?"

"I hate you."

"You asked me out because you hate me?" Matt grinned evilly as Jim went bright red. He held up Jim's tablet to fend off any potential attacks and backed up away from him. "Go get washed off! You smell like asses!" As Matt made a hasty retreat down the hallway, Jim headed in to shower.

The hot water felt good against his skin. He scrubbed up carefully with the soap dispensed in the showers. He liked the stuff his mother sent him better, but this would do for today. It was with great reluctance that he turned off the warm spray.

"Matt?"

"Yeah, I'm here. I got your towel."

Jim gratefully reached around to grab it. He dried off quickly, then reached back around to get his clothes. "I said not this sweater!"

"I know!" Matt was laughing. "But it looks so good on you, Jim! Like a little old grandpa!"

Jim grumbled as he dressed. Undershirt, brown pants, and that annoying blue and green sweater. One of the ladies that frequented his mother's inn had knit it for him. The sleeves were too long, it was lumpy, and she'd run out of the blue she was using so she switched colors part way through.

He hated it.

Matt grinned at Jim when he finally stepped out of the stall. "You look simply fetching."

Jim rolled his eyes. "Let's go get dinner."

The two boys headed down the hallway together. Matt hummed a tune to himself as they made their way to the dining hall. Occasionally he sang a line or two, though he never quite broke out into full song.

Matt and Jim were the last two to arrive at the table. Jim took his customary spot beside Sy. Matt settled in next to Braxton. The cyborg snickered at Jim. "I thought you hated that sweater."

"I do," Jim grumbled. "Matt thought it was funny."

"I like it," Sy stated softly. "I think it looks good on you. But, um, I've always sorta liked homemade sweaters. It's like wearing someone's love for you."

Jim glanced down at the unappealing garment. Maybe he had judged it a little hastily. "I guess it's okay. It's….warm." he couldn't think of much else about it that was positive though.

"See? I knew you should give it another chance, Jim!" Matt said confidently. "And you didn't believe me." He smirked and started singing.

"A sweater is like a home made hug,

An embrace from someone far away.

The warmth of a distant beating heart,

And the reminder that you are loved."

Jim wadded up his napkin and tossed it at Matt. "I'm wearing the thing, you don't need to write a ballad about it."

"Ballads are stories, Jim." Matt sighed heavily. "Someday I'm going to take you to meet my family. You'll learn the nuances of song within a week."

Jim snorted. "May I never suffer such a fate." He ripped his roll in half. "Do you know how they're doing? I don't think you've gotten mail all year."

Matt shook his head. "There's no way to contact them. Not since Jack the scribe died. I started teaching my siblings their letters, but they aren't at the point where they can write yet."

"I'm sorry, Matt." Jim looked over sympathetically. "Just half a year left until you can see them again."

Matt smiled overly brightly. "In the meantime, I've got your mom's cookies to keep me happy. Think she's sending more treats next month?"

Jim shrugged. "Probably. She usually sends something if Doctor Doppler has a book for me. You know I'll share if she does."

"Your last name was Mars, right?" Sy looked up from the paper he was working on. He was the only one without a tray, instead focused on what looked like mathematical equations. "Which Mars?"

"Von Mars, but yes. I'm not actually from one of the Marses, though. My great-something-grandparents were. My home is Echo, the moon orbiting Narcissus in the Delta 98 sector. It's just a satellite base for observation, really. My family moved to help terraform some of the land so we could build more permanent settlements. Narcissus is almost ready to enter the space era." Matt was very clearly proud of his family's involvement. "After I finish training here, I'm going to be stationed back home to help monitor and adapt them into space properly! And I'm going to make sure to teach my village how to read and write."

Sy leaned in towards Matt. "That's so cool! You're going to be an absolute hero for them. I wish my ambitions were half as noble as yours."

Matt's skin was so dark Jim could never tell when he was blushing. But based on his expression and the way he stammered for an answer, Jim had no doubt that his friend's face was hot.

Sy didn't seem to notice. "I can't imagine not being able to talk to your family for that long. You're sacrificing everything just to make so many lives better. Everyone should be as selfless as you are. Matt, you're...wow…"

Braxton reached across the table and ruffled Sy's hair. "You're cute, kid. Idealistic, naive, but a good kid. We'll keep you."

Jim swatted Braxton's hand away. "Don't patronize him." 628 growled at Jim. Jim ignored the defensive alien. "Why are you always such a jerk?"

"Uh, guys?" Varian stood awkwardly at the table, his tray in his hands. "Is this a bad time to join you?"

"Now's great!" Sy practically dragged Varian into the seat beside him. "You don't usually have dinner with us, everything okay?"

Varian shrugged. "Eh, I was just busy fiddling with some things. Nothing important, just a side project for Max. Lost track of time. My usual spot's taken, so I thought I'd sit with you guys."

"You should sit with us more often." Sy gave the boy a bright smile. "Here, I'll move my things. Sit next to me. What were you working on?"

Varian beamed. "You really want to know?" He pulled out his tablet. With one hand he scanned his palm as he shoveled noodles into his mouth with the other. He pulled up the program he had been working on. With a pinch and twirl he zoomed out and rotated the model into position.

"This is an automatic horse shoer!" He zoomed in to show off the details as he explained. "This is where the horse stands. You just select which style of horse shoe you want, what material, and which shoes you want to replace! This part removes the old one, and this section measures and fits the right size. Here's where it hammers it onto the horse, and all done! Horses painlessly shoed in a matter of seconds!"

Sy was truly fascinated. "I bet a lot of people would love that, Varian. Thank you for showing me." Varian beamed and launched into telling him about more inventions as they finished dinner.