Jeremy wasn't as ignorant or as innocent as his brothers thought, sometimes. If he wasn't sick, there was only one thing Jason would wonder if he could be cured of, and in such a wishful sad voice.

He thought about it while he ate his supper. He didn't know what to think, not really. Jason was the only one, ever, who never said things like that about his stutter. He never acted like it was something WRONG about him, or something he could help himself about, or – yeah, or even be cured of. It was something that just WAS, as far as Jason had ever acted.

He'd sounded so strange, too. Not like himself at all. Even when Jason didn't know something, he'd sound like he did.

So, had he sounded like it wasn't nothing all this time when he didn't really know? Maybe he didn't really believe it was nothing? Did he think Jeremy could've should've fixed himself somehow?

Was it true?

Jeremy studied Jason through his eyelashes. Jason was Jason, talking and joking with the men who came in, especially if they spoke to him. He made bets and accepted challenges, made jokes, told stories, bought drinks, and, most important of all, he confirmed jobs.

Josh took over from there, answering their questions about wages and asking them questions about their experience. Josh was in high spirits with all that going on.

Jeremy wiped his mouth and fingers with his napkin, put it on the table, and, after catching Jason's eye, slipped away, carrying their dishes into the back.

Jason shook his head slightly. Jeremy would help with the dishes and cleaning up rather than talking with groups. Well, he was young for that. And staying to be useful was a lot better than running straight home, or clinging to either of his brothers as if he was afraid they'd disappear.

His baby brother was growing up, and the man he was becoming, while quirky, was going to be a fine person. A fine independent person, from the look of things. (Why should he be any different grown than he had been all along?)

Eventually, when he'd cleared all that could be cleared and washed all that could be washed, he came back out and seated himself at the piano., plucking out some simple tunes and adding simple flourishes as he listened to the music he was making.

It wasn't long before there was an occasional sing-along, but mostly he just played.

When he was tired, he slipped away.

"Thought you'd be sound asleep by now," Jason said, as he and Josh hung their coats and removed their boots.

"Nuh-uh."

"Yes, I see that. Are you looking for something?" Jeremy had the box of newspaper clippings emptied out all over the table and was sorting them.

"Uh-huh."

Josh snorted.

Jason smiled. "What are you trying to figure out?"

Jeremy glanced up at him, his lips twitching. "You."

"You couldn't just ask me?"

"Nuh-uh."

Josh snorted again.

"Oh." Jason glanced over at Josh. "Shaddup, you."

Josh laughed and levered himself into his upper bed. "Yessir. Good night!" He covered his head with a pillow.

Jeremy chuckled, but kept looking through the clippings.

"I wonder how many of those are outdated," Jason said, picking up one stack. It was mostly about the Territorial expansion as they grew toward statehood. Some of those definitely were outdated.

"Some of 'em," Jeremy replied. "There's some that Da put in."

"I can see that."

Jeremy smoothed one article with his fingers. "D-don't seem right to j-just th-throw them away."
"No, it doesn't. Maybe put those in with the family papers."

Jeremy shrugged.

Jason put the cuttings back on the table and walked away. "Don't be up too late, okay?"

"Kay."

"You do know you can say anything or ask me anything at all?" Jason sat on his bed, watching Jeremy working methodically with the papers.

"Uh-huh."

Jason went to sleep watching Jeremy at work.

When he woke, before dawn, Jeremy was in bed, but not sleeping. He was sitting up, hugging his legs, with his forehead resting on his knees.

"Jeremy?"

Jeremy looked up, his eyes large and tired looking.

"Are you alright?"

"Prolly,"Jeremy mumbled.

"Have you slept?" Jason got up, and started coffee in the fireplace.

"Uh-huh. S-sometimes it's j-just hard to."

"Bad dreams?"

Jeremy shook his head.

"Still not ready to talk?"

Jeremy shook his head again, and watched Jason who was pretending he wasn't watching Jeremy.

"I'll be here when you are. Or, "Jason's lips twitched, "if you'd rather I not be here, I won't be."

That drew a smile."I g-got all the ideas, b-but they won't go into w-words."

"I know that feeling. Usually when you ask me a question in the middle of the night."

"Y-you asked m-me this t-time."

"So I did." Jason wrapped some bread in a large napkin and set it on the hearth. "Sometimes it helps to just start talking and the words work themselves around to what you want or need to say."

"Yeah, but you can t-talk."

"So can you. To someone who listens."

"N-not always."

"Always, little brother. Go back to sleep. I'll be here finishing my kite. And listening."

Jeremy stretched out under his covers and sighed. He almost immediately went to sleep.