unbroken_halo (unbroken_halo) wrote in stirs_of_echo, @ 2010-07-30 01:57:00 |
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Entry tags: | damon, fics, harry, jason, sev |
Fic: Country Boy Can Survive
Title: Country Boy Can Survive
Authors: sevs_lil_secret and unbroken_halo
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Company belong to JK Rowling. No copyright infringement is meant.
Characters: Damon and Grant Wolffe, Jason Summers, Severus and Harry Snape.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Damon gets acquainted with Sev’s new employee, trying to discern the truth from the rumours
Warnings: Language
AN: Here you have a little bit of a back story on Jason, whom several of you have asked about. Jason is a very proud young man and we hope this shows that.
A note for our readers that are not familiar with certain terms. A holler is a low spot between two or more ridges, almost like a small valley. To carry someone home would be to give them a ride and snickerdoodles are wonderful, puffy, old fashioned sugar cookies.
Jason finished his last chore there at the Mortar and Pestle and set his broom back in the small closet in the store room. Looking up, he waved to Severus and Harry as they finished up what they were doing before they left for their drive home.
"Nine in the morning, Professor?" Jason asked, untying the apron he wore over his street clothes and hanging it on its peg behind the door and picking up his jacket.
"Yes nine tomorrow, Jason. Would you like a ride home?" Severus inquired and then turned as the bell over the door sounded and Damon walked in.
Damon had Grant's scripts to be refilled and needed more of his stomach medicines. He looked around the shop for Severus or Harry. "Sev? Bit?"
Jason looked up to see Damon Wolffe and decided to make good his escape while his boss was busy. He hated putting them out of their way when he could easily walk. The young man nodded his head to Damon in passing and lifted a hand to Harry as he eased the heavy back door open and entered the back alleyway.
Merlin, it was cold and sometime during the late afternoon it had begun to sleet and spit snow. With a resigned sigh, Jason pulled his fatigue jacket tighter around his body and set off on his long walk home.
"Hello Damon," Harry said as he slipped off of the stool he was sitting on and raised his arms over his head in a cat like stretch. "What can we do for you?"
Damon watched the other man walk out of the store and shook his head. He tossed the scripts on the desk and smiled at Harry. "Hello Harry. Grant needs more drugs. How's it going?" He smiled and motioned to Harry to come out from behind the desk. "Is she moving? Can I try again?"
Harry grinned, walking over to where Damon was standing. "You can try, but she's been kind of quiet this afternoon. I think the soup I had at lunch made her sleepy," he laughed.
Still, he jumped up and down a little on the balls of his feet and gently prodded the swell of his belly before holding still for the older man to try.
Severus only shook his head as he picked up the prescriptions in his long graceful fingers. Looking them over he clucked to himself.
"I've got one of these already, but the other two won't be able to be picked up until tomorrow. Did he need them tonight?" Severus asked, going over his inventory in his mind and not seeing Jason slip out the back.
Damon rubbed his hands together and lifted Harry's sweater, placing his palm against the swollen belly and waited. He eyed Harry, smiling at him then answered Severus. "Tomorrow’s fine, you know what a worry wart Grant is. He just wanted to have the new stuff just in case." He sighed as Reganne just sat still in her daddy's belly. He moved his hand away and pulled Harry's sweater down then shook his head as the younger man's belly rolled.
"I'll need my stomach potions now though if you've got them on hand."
Severus nodded and reached under the counter where he'd placed the older man's medicines to deliver to him on their way home.
"Here you go, I added lemon flavouring to them, so hopefully you will stop complaining that they taste like last weeks dirty socks," he chuckled, setting the bag on the countertop.
Harry shrugged apologetically for his daughter's lack of cooperation and gave his father-in-law a grin.
"She's as stubborn as Severus sometimes," he quipped and then stuck his tongue out at his husband.
"Sounds like both her daddies." Damon shook his head. He handed Severus his credit card and picked up the bag. He withdrew the potion and immediately took a dosage then put it back in the bag. He made a face and shook his head again. "Bleagh. Great stuff Sev." He licked his lips and chuckled as he ran a hand over his stomach.
He leaned against the counter. "So what's the story on your other shop hand? Jason Summers, right?"
Severus made a face and handed the credit card back without being run. "Yes, it's Jason. He's a good lad, a hard worker. Keeps to himself. I believe, if my sense of direction is correct, he lives on the little piece of land that butts up against the back of your south pasture."
Damon frowned at Severus and passed the card back at his son. He nodded then frowned again. "There ain't nothing but holler down thataway. Are you certain? I've never seen him around much."
Severus left the plastic where it lay and pointedly ignored it. "Yes, I believe so. I've never picked him up where he lives, he generally meets me down at the old station or I'll see him walking in. I've been given the impression he stays away from the townspeople."
Damon narrowed his eyes and tapped the credit card. "Well, I don’t remember much and most of that’s rumour and conjecture, so I don't blame him. However the boy just walked out the back door and it's sleeting and snowing."
"Buggering hell," Severus muttered as he picked up the card and dropped it into the paper sack. "Don't put that on my counter again, your money is not accepted here."
He looked over to where Harry was busy looking through a baby furniture catalogue and then back to Damon.
"Jason hasn't said anything about that and I don't think I was here when it happened. Did the town turn on him?"
Damon narrowed his eyes at Severus. "I don't mind paying for my medicines, boy. You going to run your business into the ground like that." He sighed and cut his eyes over to Harry. "Jason's family is somewhat wealthy and most of them are over in Wheeling. They had a big fall out from what I heard and his sister, Janice, the one that works in the hardware shop is the only one that will talk to him." He shrugged his shoulders. "That's what Grant told me anyway."
Without looking up from what he was reading, Harry chimed in. "When she comes in, he goes to the back and won't come out until she leaves again. I don't think he talks to her much."
Severus nodded as he recalled Janice's last visit and the way his employee had hidden in the storeroom for nearly half an hour until she'd left in frustration.
"So he really is all alone up there, then?" he asked thoughtfully.
Damon shrugged and nodded. "I guess so. Jason's been looked at as a kind of pariah. From what I've seen though he’s a good man, stubborn and wilful, raising that baby on his own but a good man nonetheless. Young. I remember Grant rejoicing when his Rainwalker Foundation App came in."
Severus nodded slowly, that would explain why several of his regular customers had stopped coming in. "Where is the gentleman that left him in this condition?" he asked softly, the wheels in his head turning as he looked over at Harry sitting oblivious to them. How in Merlin’s name could someone have left that boy and their child?
Damon shrugged. "I guess he’s in DC, but I don't rightly know. He‘s never been seen here and Jason refuses to name the father. There‘s a lot of speculation about the young man and I wouldn‘t believe half of what you hear about him." He eyed Severus and grinned at him. "You gonna charge me for my medicines, so I can go and get Grant his damned Diet Coke? He's driving me up the fucking wall."
"No, I'm not going to charge you, now go buy him extra Diet Coke," Severus laughed as he handed the bag to Damon. "Go on home Damon, his potions will be ready tomorrow afternoon."
Damon gave Severus the finger and snatched the sack off the counter. He waved at Harry and pushed out the door. "Bye Bit." He tossed the sack into the truck and sauntered down the street to Clangman's, whistling a tune. He walked through the doors and grabbed a buggy, heading for the soda aisle.
Jason stopped into Clangman's to do a little shopping for his weekly groceries and was slowly pushing a buggy down the aisle looking over the choices of ramen noodles.
He chewed on his thumb as he looked at the items in his buggy and at a two litre of soda on the shelf. He wanted it, but the prospect of lugging it up the mountain was not a pleasant one. With a sigh, he reached for a box of tea bags instead; not what he wanted, but it was lighter.
Damon rounded the corner and tossed two twelve packs of Grant's soda in the buggy then added his Dr. Pepper. He looked up the aisle and spotted the boy who had left Sev‘s shop. He smiled and walked over to the younger man. "Hello, Mr. Summers. How's it going? You left before I had a chance to say anything. I’m Damon Wolffe" He held out a hand to the younger man and smiled.
Jason startled at the sound of the ex Marine's jovial voice and he looked around to spot the older man. He recognized him from seeing him in town and at the shop.
"Hello Mr. Wolffe," he said hesitantly and then shook the man's hand. "I needed to get along, I wasn't trying to be rude." He gripped the handlebar of his buggy and looked down into his basket; he had about three sacks worth of ramen now. That was enough.
Damon leaned against the buggy and shook his head. "I understand. Please call me Damon. Mr. Wolffe was my Da." He winked at the young man. "Sev told me you were walking. Might I offer you a ride up the mountain?"
Jason shook his head. "Thank you sir, but I can walk. It's not that far," he said uncomfortably. He didn't like taking charity from others and he knew how he was looked at in town and was well aware of the looks he was getting from a woman in the same aisle.
Damon snorted and glared at the woman slowly cruising down the aisle. "Bullshit son, I live up the mountain so I know how far it is." He smiled and shook his head. "Go ahead and finish your shopping, it's no trouble Mr. Summers, I'm headed that way myself." He leaned closer to the younger man. "Besides, if Sev or Grant found out I left you here to walk in the sleet, my ass would be hung in a sling."
Jason shook his head once more. "You don't have to mention seeing me," he said softly and turned to go. "Have a nice evening sir." Sometimes he hated his sense of pride, but it was the only thing he had that was his these days and he wasn't going to lose it.
Stunned, Damon stared after the young man then followed him. "Mr. Summers... Please allow me to do this. It's awfully nasty out there. I hate to see anyone out in this weather." He smiled at the younger man.
Jason stopped and looked down at his hands. He knew the weather was bad and it was fuck all cold out there. "Maybe... maybe to the station?" he asked softly, he didn't want to put anyone out of their way and the old rail station was along the highway headed out of town.
Damon shook his head. "To the door, son. It's too damn nasty for you to be walking out in this shit." He sighed and shook his head. "Look Summers, I know you don't know me all that well but I want to help. I don't know what to tell you other than I won't be mugging you blind and leaving you for dead on the side of the road." He smiled at the younger man. "I'm an upstanding citizen... most of the time and I think you need a little help, especially in your condition."
He didn't know what it was about the small man but he just felt he had to help him out. Marion Wolffe was alive and well in her son and he was itching to question the younger man to find out the truth. He did have some measure of control though and wouldn’t interrogate the boy but wear him down.
The boy was about four or five months along judging by his size and dammit, Harry was the same. How could someone’s family just disown a son like that? It was too close to Grant’s situation and maybe that was what it was. Maybe it was the fact that Jason was pregnant and alone but whatever it was Damon knew it was the right thing to do to follow in Sev’s wake and help the younger man. Damn anyone that thought differently.
Jason looked at Damon and saw it was a losing battle. "I'll meet you in front of the store then?" he asked. He was relieved he wouldn't have to trek up the long path to his trailer, but hoped the other man wouldn't get stuck. "It's not out of your way is it?"
Damon grinned. "Well, alright then." He walked along side the younger man to the check out and gestured him to go in front of him in the check out. "No, I shouldn't think so. You before Copperhead Road?"
Jason nodded, not noticing he'd been chivvied to stand in the line ahead of the other man. "A bit, if it's out of the way, just drop me at the logging road and I can go the rest of the way," he said as he unloaded his buggy and waited for the total. After paying, he noted he had a little left so he would be able to offer the other man money for carrying him home.
Damon paid for his sodas and hefted them into his arms and took then younger man's bags as well. "Stay right under the awning while I warm up the truck then I'll come back for you." He sprinted back to his truck, sliding the groceries behind the seat and started the truck, turning the heater on full blast. He pulled up in front of Clangman's and pushed open the door from the inside and held a hand out to the young man. "Come on Summers, I'll help you in the truck."
Without hesitating, Jason grabbed Damon's outstretched hand and quickly climbed into the cab. Shutting the door behind him, he shook his head as he looked out into the ice storm that had developed.
"Damn, it's awful early in the year for this," he muttered in dismay. Winter in his old trailer was going to be a bitch.
Damon reached around the young man and buckled his seat belt. "Yup but it's home though isn't it?" he grinned and carefully made his way out of town. "You need to stop anywhere else?"
"No sir, I don't. Thank you very much for the ride," Jason said as he fished in his coat pocket for the five he knew he had in there. Pulling out the crumpled bill, he smoothed it against his leg before he handed it over to Damon. "For gas and your trouble."
Damon shook his head. "No, you keep that for a rainy day. You aren't that far from me so it's no big deal. Besides it's my pleasure to help someone out."
Jason sighed and slowly put the money back in his pocket. This was like when that new muggle pastor decided he could save Jason's soul with kindness and charity. Jason hated charity.
"I like to be able to pay my own way sir. I don't want to take charity, so if you'll just let me out here, I'd be mighty beholden."
Damon shook his head. "I understand wanting to pay your own way. Charity has it's place and this is not charity, Summers. Think of it as one person helping another. You'd do the same for me if the tables were turned. There's no sense in being miserable when there are others around to help."
Resigned to the fact Damon was not going to let him out of the truck or take his money, Jason sighed and just looked out the window. He suddenly thought of something and looked over at the driver.
"Is this a four wheel drive?" he asked curiously, not sure it would make it up the goat path of an excuse for a road that led to his trailer. He was the only one that lived back in there and without a car, he'd never bothered with keeping the road up. No one ever drove that far back or if they did, it was in a heavy truck.
Damon shrugged. "Don't think they made them like that back then. But it's got new studded snow tires on it and a brand new transmission." He looked at the boy and grinned. "No time like the present to test it out."
"It's not much of a road. I think the last time it had gravel was when they dumped the trailer off twenty some years ago," Jason said with a shrug. He'd decided that if it looked too bad, he'd walk the rest of the way in regardless of what the older man said.
Damon nodded and exited town. "This logging road here?" He pulled over to the side of the road and looked at Summers. "You were done a wrong turn, Summers, from what I can see and it's made you gun-shy. Not everyone is out to see what they can get out of someone else. I'm offering because I can. Because it's the right thing to do for a friend or stranger, regardless of circumstances. I've seen how people can judge and I refuse to be a part of the masses."
He smiled. "I don't see you as a charity case. I see you as a strong young man about to venture into a difficult but ultimately rewarding place in his life. Someone that needs and could use a friend. Fuck anybody else that thinks different."
Damon sighed. "Now, I've heard a lot of rumour and nastiness and I can tell you I've been part of some of the same slander, so I understand it and can sympathize with you. I'm not trying to convert you nor am I trying to tell you how to run your life." He met the younger man's eyes again. "I'm offering to be neighbourly and that's all."
Jason nodded as Damon asked about the road and then looked down to the worn knees of his jeans and sighed.
"People around here just aren't too forgiving, you know?" he asked softly, his face twisting with something that could have been pain or regret. "They don't bother asking me anything, they'd rather make up my own story for me."
The young man looked up at the kind face of the gruff older man behind the wheel and saw nothing but honesty. "Thank you."
"Think nothing of it." Damon eyed the younger man then asked another question. "Just how bad is this road? We can go back to the shop and get Sev's truck. I know that thing will make it up there."
Jason grinned. "Mr. Wolffe, the last time a vehicle came up that road was nearly a year ago and they busted an axle. Really, you can just let me out here, I can walk the rest of the way," he said as he reached for his bags behind the seat.
Damon shook his head. "Call me Damon and I hope I can have the pleasure of your name as well." He turned onto the logging road and followed it back until it almost became too much for the truck. Putting the truck in park he turned "Now, How far are we from your place? We'll go together. You sure as hell don't need to be falling out here." He looked around and spotted the top of his farm house then pointed. "See that. That's mine and Grant's place. So if I do get stuck it ain't nothing but a stones throw to call and get me towed out of here."
Jason nodded as he pulled on heavy woollen mittens and reached for his bags. "I'm just Jason, sir."
He looked over in the direction of where Damon was pointing and smiled. "I wondered exactly who lived over there. I'm about a half mile up from here, over that little ridge there," he said and pointed in the general direction. Nothing could be seen and Jason sighed as he realized his wood stove had gone out while he'd been gone.
"This used to be my Aunt Lou's place, they kept it to hunt on. Anyway, it's mine now. It's nice to know who my neighbour is."
Damon stared at Jason for a moment. "Louise Summers Henderson? Is that the woman you are speaking of? She and her husband used to run me and a buddy of mine off this area when we were kids. Swore she'd tan my hide if she caught me killing her songbirds then offer me cookies in the next breath." He chuckled and shook his head, grinning at Jason. "I'm glad Grant and I are here in her stead then. That woman used to make the best elderberry jelly that I ever tasted." He pulled his scarf and gloves from the glove box and slipped them on then took Jason's bags from him. "Stay right there and I'll help you out."
He turned off the truck and opened the door, quickly going around to the other side to hold the door for Jason.
Jason laughed, he knew all about scoldings from his Aunt Lou, the woman had been wicked with a switch and then try to smother you to death with kisses. As Damon opened his door, he slid down from the seat and stretched as his feet hit the icy snow covered ground.
"My aunt was a character it seems. For some reason I was her favourite," he said wistfully. "I didn't know that was your land behind me. I'm afraid I owe you a bit then." The young man had been picking blackberries, setting a few rabbit snares, and harvesting walnuts on the other side of his property line.
Damon grinned and nodded. "Don't see how it could be that you owe me something." He offered his arm to the younger man as he picked his way over the snow covered ground. "Take my arm, Jason and don't fall. Grant's the doctor, not me. Best I can do is take you back to the hospital. So let's not do that today, yeah?" He chuckled and looked up as the small silver bullet travel trailer came into view in the short distance.
Jason clutched Damon's sleeve and carefully picked his way over the rocks and ruts that littered the worn footpath. "Hard to believe that they used to bring the big trucks up here, isn't it?" he asked as he stepped over an exposed tree root.
"I've been collecting things from the other side of the property line. I didn't know who's land it was, so I've kept a tally. It's in the trailer," he said, fully intending to make good on his poaching. "You don't have to go all the way up if you don't want to, it's going to be cold as Hell in there."
Damon shook his head. "You don't own me nothing, Jason. That's nature out there and she's available to anyone brave enough to harvest from her. I just rent out the land for pasture use. So long as you didn't shoot a cow we'll be alright."
He led Jason up the rickety stairs, drew his wand and cast a strengthening charm on them. He settled the bags on the small porch and smiled at Jason. "You need some wood or anything? I'll be glad to fill your wood box if you need me too."
Jason pushed his door open and looked down into the small box he used to hold his firewood and sighed in dismay, he had only a couple pieces left. "I can take care of it, sir. It's kind of strung out. I've just been using deadfall and what I can break up. My axe isn't too sharp and I have a feeling if I came walking into town with it slung over my shoulder, I'd be locked up in a heartbeat."
The pregnant man opened the firebox on his wood stove and quickly stirred the ash about, leaving the coals to one side as he cleaned the rest into a metal pail to be dumped. "I'll have this going in a minute if you want to sit by the stove."
Damon shook his head. "Tell you what. Let me use your phone to call Grant to let him know where I'm at. Stay in here where it's warm and I’ll set you up for the night by filling the wood box for ya. Just point me in the right direction of the wood pile."
Jason nodded towards the phone hanging on the wall of the old trailer and then went back to laying his fire. He'd go out and help, he didn't need a man to take care of him.
"Thank you, kindly." Damon picked up the phone and quickly dialled the house, hoping Grant would answer the phone. He looked out the window of the trailer and nearly dropped the receiver when he spotted the old well cap out back of the trailer. Surely the younger man wasn't hauling water up in this day and age? His mouth set in a grim line as he decided he'd bring in some water for the lad as well before he left.
Grant picked up the phone on the second ring, setting the hot baking pan of snickerdoodles down on the countertop. "Wolffe residence."
"Hey, Pet. What are you doing?" Damon smiled as Grant's voice came across the lines clearly. At least the boy had good service in case something happened out here to him. Emergency services might have a time getting back here but at least they'd know where he was.
"Hey baby, I'm baking cookies. What are you doing? Where are you? The caller ID says the number is unlisted," Grant asked as he sat down at the table and began to nibble on a cookie that had cooled.
"Mm cookies. Can I have chocolate milk with them too?" Damon hummed. "I'm at the old Summers’ hunting place. I'll be home in a bit after I get some wood up here for Jason. "You remember Sev's new little shop hand?"
"Yes, you can have chocolate milk. The old Summers’ place? Where on earth is that?" Grant asked as he looked up at the clock and frowned. "It's getting dark."
"I'm most likely about a mile, mile and half off the south side of the back of the property, Pet. Go out to the barn and look for the smoke rising in the south." Damon shook his head as he looked out the window. "I can see that, Grant. I just wanted to let you know where I was and that I'll be home in about an hour or so."
"I'll take your word for where it is. It's cold and I don't want to go out, my knee is killing me. It's going to get nastier, mark my word," Grant said with a pained sigh. He thought his arthritis forecast the weather better than the damned weatherman out of Wheeling any day of the week.
"Be careful, okay? And stay warm, I'll put dinner on the back of the stove to stay warm."
Damon chuckled. "Is that an old Injun warning? Alright, Pet, you know I am always careful. You and Baby stay in the house and I'll be home shortly."
Grant grunted at his husband. "No, it's my knee playing hell with me today, you old goat," he laughed. "I'll see you when you get home."
Jason looked up as the other man hung the telephone up and smiled. "Fire's going. I'll go with you to bring in an armful of wood," he said as he stood and went to the door. "Everything is down in the holler now, I've already burned what was close."
Damon nodded. "Hey, I got a wand, son. You didn't actually think I was going to chop wood tonight did ya? It's too damn cold for that shit right now and I am lazy." He chuckled and held open the door for Jason. He looked around the little cleared area. "You want me to move the wood right there?" He pointed to a small spot near the edge of the little plank porch then turned to Jason. "You need to pull water too for tonight?"
Jason grinned, he'd forgotten the man was a wizard as well. "I've been having to do it the Muggle way since I about took my own head off summoning a chunk of stove wood. Yeah, there by the door would be great, thank you."
He picked up the plastic pails he used to haul water up from their spot on the floor. "I can get it."
Damon shook his head. "Harry damn near set the bed on fire with a Warming Charm, so I understand." He drew his wand again and cast a Lumos to light their way. He waited until Jason was at the well and then charmed a ball of light to float with the boy while he cut and moved the wood. He took one more look at the boy then stepped down into the holler. He waved his wand at a large fallen log and split it into smaller sections. "Stay at the well, Jason. I don't want to hit you."
He climbed out and waved his wand again, sending the logs, one after another, to pile neatly beside the porch and trailer. He grabbed one, then a second log out of the air and set it on the ground at his feet to make kindling.
"Yes sir," Jason called back, kneeling down on the old concrete lip of the well and pushing the heavy wooden lid back to revealing the gaping black hole. He reached in and by memory, his fingers closed around the rope that led to the bucket some thirty or forty feet below in the spring fed well.
Hand over hand, he began to draw the bucket up to fill his pails. Once at the top, Jason moved to the side a bit and let the floating ball of light shine down into the water he'd just drawn. He always hated bringing a dead mouse or worse into the house.
Damon finished stacking the wood along side the porch. He filled the box beside the door and then charmed the new piles with an Imperturbable and Moisture Repellent Charms. He then split the logs he'd set aside into kindling and took them in the trailer to place them beside the wood stove. He added another log to the fire and grabbed the ash bucket to empty.
Once finished he went back around the trailer to help Jason with the water, lighting up the area with his wand once more. "All done with the wood. You shouldn't need anymore from the holler for a few days."
Damon stared at the well. He hadn't seen anything like that since he had been a small child and even then it had been more of a novelty at his grandfather's cabin, high up in the mountains. He peered into the hole looking for... visitors to the well. Seeing the water level far below, he sighed thankfully. It was a deep well and he didn't think Jason would have to worry about it freezing over. He stepped back and took the rope from Jason. "How much water do you need tonight?"
Jason nodded to the two five gallon buckets; that would give him enough to cook, wash his pot and fork and to have a small sponge bath before bed. "That will do me. I've learned a lot about making do the past few months," he said softly.
"Thank you for bringing the wood up, I do appreciate it," the young man said as he stood and picked up the bails of the buckets, balancing them carefully before starting back. "I'll come back and put the lid back on in a minute. Would you like a cup of coffee? I think I have some."
Damon reached out and took the buckets, setting them on the ground. "Coffee would be great if it's not too much trouble."
He shook his head as he turned to replace the cap on the well. "Nothing wrong with making do, son. Can't get any more honest than living off the land." He tossed the bucket back in the well, casting a heating charm on it to make certain the water didn't freeze around the bucket. He cast another spell to keep the snow back from the well cap and then slid the wooden lid back into place. "All done." He smiled at the younger man. "I've got an old pulley set at the house if you'd like me to come out and set it up. It'll make hauling up the water easier." He picked up the buckets and nodded to Jason to precede him back to the trailer.
Jason thought for a moment and when they got into the trailer, he looked at the calendar he'd gotten free on a prenatal visit and counted his paydays and looked at what had to be paid.
He quickly brewed some coffee while Damon warmed himself by the stove. "What does something like that cost?" he asked as he poured Damon a cup of coffee and set a package of generic brand vanilla wafers down on the small table.
"Thanks." Damon sipped the coffee and smiled at Jason. "Not a damn thing. Grant will be glad I've gotten it out of his shed finally. I didn't want to toss it until I could find a use for it. It's just a simple A frame and pulley. All I have to do is anchor it to the ground and thread your rope and bucket through it." He nodded to the chair for Jason to sit. "You aren't all that far from the back of my property, son. So I'd like you to quit thinking of this as charity or something you have to pay for. We are neighbours and neighbours take care of each other. You hear?"
Jason didn't say anything, but went to the back of the trailer, opening one of the small storage closets, rummaged for a moment and then returned with two jars of some sort of reddish purple substance, setting them on the table in front of the older man.
"Please," he said softly, he needed to do this, needed to be able to feel like he'd done something in exchange.
Damon nodded and picked up the Mason jars. "Thank you kindly, Jason." He opened one of them, inhaled deeply and smiled wistfully. "Damn, I haven't had elderberry jelly in years." He chuckled and shook his head, standing after he finished off his coffee.
Jason watched the older man, almost dreading the fact he'd be alone again in a very short time.
"Be careful driving out, the road isn't very good," the young man said and gave Damon a shy grin. "Thank you for all your help. I'll be at the shop tomorrow."
Damon smiled then stopped and pulled out a slip of paper from his jacket pocket, writing out the number to the farm house. "You need anything. Day or night. Call up to the house. Grant or I will make certain you get what you need." He looked Jason in the eyes. "Take care of that babe, son. They are precious things. His other daddy is an idiot for giving you both up."
Jason took the paper and stared at it blindly for a moment, swallowing back tears. "Todd wanted something normal," he whispered. He didn't blame his ex, after all, not everyone expected their lover to get knocked up when they didn't come with that equipment in the first place.
"Thank you for everything Mister... Damon."
Damon ran a hand over Jason's shoulder. "Normal's overrated." He gently patted the boy's shoulder. "Take care now and don't forget to call Sev in the morning. He'll pick you up on the way in."
Jason simply nodded and stood to show Damon out, closing the door tightly. Sitting back down at the little table, he thought about calling his sister as the sleet beat a steady rhythm against the metal sides.