forbidden (illicitus) wrote in the_colony, @ 2011-01-01 17:22:00 |
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Entry tags: | ^ week 24, jed bailey, thomas galloway, | jed and tom |
Week 24 - Thursday Morning
Characters: Tom Galloway and Jed Bailey
Location: Jed’s Room
Summary: Tom comes to talk to Jed about Jack and Searle, and about Jed’s breakup with Alice.
Rating: PG
The events of the past week were beginning to make Tom reconsider why he’d ever decided to go to one of the meetups Jed and Alice had run back in Las Vegas. If he kept having to deal with all this shit all the time he’d rather have stayed back at his cabin.
Those thoughts seemed to run on a continuous loop through his mind as he approached Jed’s bedroom. He hadn’t had a lot of interaction with the other man since he and Alice had broken up aside from the minimum necessary for everyone to get their work done and wasn’t sure what Jed’s state of mind would be for this. The other man was sensitive enough about Jack, this could send him right over the edge.
He reached the closed door of the other man’s room and knocked lightly on the frame. “Hey Jed, got a minute? I need to talk to you about something.”
Jed sat up sharp at the knock, sloshing a little whiskey on his bed. He hadn’t been expecting Tom; hell, he hadn’t been expecting anyone. He’d kept away from folks unless he was doing chores or guard duty, and even those he tried to get done when fewer people were around. The thought of having a conversation, especially about what he knew Tom was coming to talk about, sent his heart racing. But he couldn’t turn Tom away. He didn’t deserve it.
“Yeah, c’mon in,” he said, setting aside his glass and scooting to the edge of the bed.
“Thanks.” Tom opened the door and stepped through. He took in the whisky glass and Jed’s haggard appearance without a word, and kept his expression unchanged. It was a bit early in the day to be drinking but who was he to criticize?
He took a chair from the desk and reversed it, sitting down and looking at the other man. “We need to talk about Jack.”
Jed’s eyes had fallen to the ground, waiting for the admonition. So Tom’s words caught him offsides. He snapped to his feet, wobbling slightly. “Jack? What happened to Jack?”
“Aside from a bad case of teenage hormones? Nothing.” Tom shook his head. “She’s fine Jed, but I want to make sure she stays that way over the next couple years. Sit down, I’d just as soon not do this staring up at you.”
Frowning, Jed settled down again, trying to figure out what Tom meant. “What’d she do?” Already his mind was buzzing; he’d been so intent on not being around people, had there been something he missed with Jack?
Tom sighed and ran a hand through his hair, trying to contain his frustration at the whole thing. “She and Searle have been sneaking around and kissing for a while.” He said simply. “She’s admitted that it was her idea, but these things can get out of hand. It already caused Searle to be late for guard duty last night as I caught them in our room last night, on his bed.”
He held up a hand to keep Jed from jumping up and doing anything rash. “It’s all strictly innocent right now, and Searle’s paid for his mistake already. But Jack doesn’t seem to understand why it’s a bad idea to be on a bed alone with a teenage boy.”
It was good Tom had waved him down, because Jed was ready to get up and grab Searle the moment he heard “bed.” The anger gave way to a sick, heavy feeling in his chest at Tom’s last words. “She... But I told her, I talked to her,” he said, running his hands over his face. “Jesus Christ, why is she doin’ this to me?”
“She’s a teenager?” Tom responded with a hint of a commiserating smile. “I never had to deal with quite this situation before, considering my kid was a boy and not a girl, but in my experience getting teenagers to pay attention takes a lot of repeating yourself.”
His smile faded and he sighed. “Even then they don’t always listen. I instituted new rules for Jack and Searle. They aren’t allowed to be alone during the day without the door being open, and have to have at least one leg on the floor at all times. After dark they can’t be alone at all.”
Running his hands into his hair, Jed tried to think. He wanted to take Searle aside, make sure he knew just what would happen if he did anything to Jack. Hell, he wanted to forbid them from even seeing each other at all, but he knew Jack would hate him for that. He didn’t want anyone else hating him.
“I’m gonna talk to her. And Searle,” he finally said. He could decide what he’d say later. “Those rules are good, but they really gotta understand.”
“I’ve talked to them both,” Tom told him flatly. He’d expected this, but honestly Jed was taking it better than he thought the other man would. “I think Searle gets it, but if you want to talk with him I don’t have a problem with it as long as I sit in on any conversation. The kid’s scared of you Jed, and if I were him I’d be scared too.”
Jed scowled but didn’t meet Tom’s eye. He knew that he wouldn’t pull anything on Searle, but convincing Tom of that would be more trouble than it was worth. He’d run into Searle eventually; Tom couldn’t be everywhere.
Tom shook his head, but noted the fact Jed wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Honestly your problem is going to be more Jack than Searle. The kid’s got a crush on him a mile wide.”
Scowl deepening, Jed said, “What about Searle? He like her at all or’s he juss screwin’ around?”
That caused the older man to sigh. “Honestly? I don’t think so, at least not in the romantic way. I’ve impressed on him the gravity of the situation, what can happen when hormones get away from us. His problem is there are only two females even close to his age here, and only one of them is paying him much attention.”
Jed’s fists clenched tight but he fought back the urge to get up and let Searle know exactly what he thought of that. He had to show Tom that he was a man of some control. Letting out a long breath, he said evenly, “That ain’t right. You tell him that ain’t right?”
“You’re damn right I did.” Tom nodded, eying Jed closely and noting the reaction. “I don’t think he really understood what he was doing or what he wanted until I had the conversation with him after his punishment for missing guard duty. I’ve told him Jack is off-limits for anything but kissing, no matter what she might want. If you want to put more restrictions on when and where they can be together I’ll back your play. Just try and remember what you were like at sixteen and cut the kid a little slack.” Emphasis on little.
“I’ve told him if he wants to get into a relationship with someone his own age or older, I won’t raise an objection.” Not that the teenager had much in the way of choices at the moment.
“I remember what I was like at sixteen, that’s why I ain’t cuttin’ him slack,” Jed said, a little heat behind his words. “Jack’s what I’m worried about. Searle can do whatever he wants with anybody else, I don’t care, but he ain’t gonna go breakin’ Jack’s heart.”
“I think Jack will do that just fine without Searle intentionally doing anything.” Tom rolled his eyes. “God, you’d think you two were blood relatives Jed, because she’s just as stubborn as you. You think her heart won’t be broken when she sees him with someone else? I’m just making sure she doesn’t have anything happen that will have long term consequences.”
“That sure as hell ain’t gonna happen. I’m gonna try’n get through to her. Make her break things off. She don’t know what she’s doin’, that’s clear.” He rubbed his hands along his legs, trying to figure out the way to have that conversation with the least amount of yelling.
“I don’t think any of us knew what we were doing at thirteen.” Tom mused aloud, nodding at Jed’s words.
There was one more thing he wanted to bring up, it wasn’t something he particularly wanted to discuss, but it needed to be said. “Jed, listen, about the other night...” He trailed off, looking for the right words to say.
Feeling the heat bloom across his face, Jed looked at the floor again. “It ain’t gonna happen again,” he said firmly, hoping that would be enough.
“Good.” Tom nodded, relieved that they wouldn’t have to go into detail about the whole thing. “I’m not going to tolerate that sort of thing from anyone here. That’s all I’m going to say about it.”
Grateful they weren’t going to get into it more than that, Jed nodded. “S’good rule. I’ll stand by it.”
“Good.” He paused again, and rubbed the back of his head. “I know things are raw right now, but will you have issues later about working with her? If you’d rather have any raiding or work duties with me instead of her I can make that happen.”
Jesus, he hadn’t even thought about that. He didn’t want to cause more trouble, but he knew the two of them working alone would be more strain than it was worth. “Ain’t gonna have problem with it, but... might be distractin’, in a bad way.”
“All right. I figure Alice will probably feel the same way, I’ll make sure the two of you stay on separate details from here on out.” At least for the next several months anyway.
Tom nodded. “I’m no shrink, and I’m not your father, but I’ve been in your shoes. If you ever decide you want to talk to someone about it, my door is open.”
Jed swallowed hard. He didn’t want to talk about it, and not with Tom. Not with someone who had himself in reign at all times; there was no way he’d been in Jed’s shoes. “Got it. Thanks,” he said.
“No problem.” Tom nodded and stood up, replacing the chair back where he’d found it.
“Let me know if you want me to sit in with Jack, or when you want to talk with Searle.”
“They know where you stand. That’ll be enough to back me up,” Jed said. He certainly didn’t want Jack thinking he had to have Tom directing his every move.
“Fair enough. Catch you later.”