Poprocks & Coke (a JFK / Lee Harvey Oswald Fanfic)

11: Harvey

Jack and Lee drove around the streets of  Washington in search of an adoption agency, because they mutually agreed that they wanted to adopt a child. They stepped outside of one that looked quite shabby, but then that was the exterior of the building, maybe it wouldn't be so bad once they stepped foot inside the place.

"What about here?" Jack Asks Lee as they stood admiring the building they were maybe going to enter.

"It seems a little rundown, but then again we're told not to judge a book by its cover,"
replied Lee

"Yeah, and you would know a lot about books, wouldn't you?" Jokes Jack

"Shut up" says Lee as he flipped him off

"Charming..."

"Do you want to go in and check it out?"

"Yeah, okay,". They enter and the interior looked a lot more pleasant than what it looked like on the outside. They walked up to the reception desk, where a little old lady sat filing paperwork for what looked like the profile of a child, the receptionist stopped what she was doing and looked up to her visitors, she then greeted them:

"Oh, hello, Mr. President... and friend," gesturing to Lee, who gave the old woman a confused look

"I'm not actually his friend I'm his Vice-President... and husband," he said the last part quietly to avoid the weird stares

"Oh! My apologies, Mr. Vice-President!" she quickly apologised, clearly in a state of shamefulness

"Not to worry, you're not the first one, Mrs...?"

"Porter, dear,"

"So, what can I do for you, gentlemen?"

"I just remembered, I phoned you a while ago to have an interview with a little boy named, Harvey" says Jack

"Oh, yes! He's been very excited to meeting you, I'll go and fetch him for you, Mr. President and Vice-President,".
She returned with a little boy who looked no younger than five, with auburn hair and sea blue eyes, he looked up to the strangers and wondered curiously as to why they were here. Mrs. Porter bent down to the child's level and said,

"Harvey, this is President and Vice-President Oswald-Kennedy, they're thinking of adopting you, dear. Isn't that exciting?!". Jack bent down to Harvey's level, and then introduced himself and Lee as well,

"Hey, buddy, I'm Jack, and this is, Lee,"

"Hi..." he says a little shy

"Oh, there's no need to be shy, Harvey, dear," comforted Mrs. Porter

"So, what kind of things are you interested in, kiddo?" Asks Lee curiously

"Um... I like space and rockets, and everything to do with astrono-... anstronom-my,"
Lee and Jack could see that the little boy was getting frustrated and trying to make the word astronomy come out, but couldn't.

"Astronomy? Wow, that's interesting! Tell me, what do you know about space?" Jack Asks little Harvey

"Uh... the month March is named after the planet Mars, Pluto is a "Dwarf Planet", Jupiter and Saturn are all cloudy with gas, and our planet, Earth is mostly made up of water because of the oceans,"

"You've got some amount of knowledge for a little brain, kiddo,"

"What do you want to be when you grow up, Harvey?" Asks Lee

"I wanna be an astronaut!" He said whilst grinning widely with happiness gleaming brightly in his eyes

"Really? Do you know what?" Asks Jack

"What?"

"I'm thinking of sending a man on the moon, is that something you'd want to do when you're older?"

"Wow, that's so cool! I want to go on the moon!"

"Not just yet, little man, you've got a lot of growing to do then maybe one day you will, you never know. Just keep dreaming, Harvey,"Jack said with a smile

"Could I have a quick word with you, gentlemen?" Asks Mrs. Porter as she walks towards her office

"Yeah, sure," answered Jack

"We'll be back in a minute, Harvey," Lee said to the little boy who was left standing. Jack and Lee entered the old lady's office, and gestured to Jack and Lee to sit down in the chairs in front of her desk, she then took out the file that she was working on when the pair of them arrived, it was Harvey's file that they noticed.

"So, what do you think of Harvey so far?"

"He's seems to be a very bright and intelligent kid,"answered Lee

"There are of course some things you'll have to know before you decide on adoption, about Harvey, he has had a bit of a troubled start to childhood. His mother sadly died a few hours after childbirth, and his father didn't want anything to do with him because he saw him as the disgrace of the family because he was different, different in a way that he sees the world differently from others, different that he can tell you facts at the top of his head, like he showed you, Mr. President, he is a special, lovely little boy who is just looking for a loving family and a comfortable home life. And I believe you, gentlemen are the perfect candidates for a unique, and wonderful young man,"

"Well, yes he is all of that, I do agree, and I also strongly agree that me and Lee are those people you speak of. But there is one thing, what do you mean different? Different in what way?"

"Mr. President, little Harvey is Autistic, he's had it since he was born, he's not severely autistic because he's not non-verbal, he's high-functioning, so he has AS, or Asperger's Syndrome,"

"I don't think I've heard of that, have you, Jack?" Asks Lee

"I think so, it was found by Hans Asperger, a Austrian scientist who discovered it in 1948,"

"So, do you want to adopt Harvey?" Asks Mrs. Porter

"What do you think, Jack? Should we?"

"If you really want to, then of course I'll support you, Lee," answered Jack

"So, have you come to a agreement?"

"Yes. We'll adopt him,"

"Oh! Congratulations!". The three of them walked out to the corridor where they had left little Harvey, who was now sitting in one of the chairs outside of Mrs. Porter's office waiting when she came back with the two men he had met earlier, which was now of course. 

"Hey, buddy, what would you say about becoming a Oswald-Kennedy?" Asks Jack

"You mean you're going to adopt me?!"  Says Harvey excitedly

"We are!"

"Thank you, Mr. President!" He says as he runs over to Jack and hugs him tightly

"Now all that is left for you, gentlemen to do is sign the adoption papers for little Harvey, and then he's all yours,". Jack, Lee and Harvey walked into Mrs. Porter's office so Jack and Lee could sign his adoption papers. Once they signed them, they said goodbye to Mrs. Porter, and headed out of the adoption agency with their little boy.

"You ready to go home, kiddo?" Asks Jack as he put Harvey in the back of the car

"Yes, I am! I can't wait!"

"Well, you won't have to wait long, because your new brother and sisters, aunts, uncles and grandparents are all waiting for you in The White House," says Jack

"Wow! I get to stay in The White House?! That is so cool!"

"Yeah, it sure is, kid,"