Oneshots

|| Looking Ahead ||

May, 1952

"Go long, Jack!" Teddy shouted and sent the football spiraling into the air, cutting through through the sky.

Jack nodded, and began to run after the ball, both of his hands outstretched.  His feet pattered across the wet sand, his feet leaving his tracks behind him. 

As the football spiraled towards the the grounds, Jack leaped up, and caught it, bringing the ball back into his chest, and slowing his run down to a walk.

"Nice one!" Teddy shouted over the roar of the waves, causing Jack to smile back at his younger brother. 

The group of men came back together, Jack pulling out his signature sunglasses out of his pockets.

"So, want to take a walk?" Jack asked, his back tingling slightly. 

"Sure," Bobby added, and opened his arms for Jack to toss him back the ball.

"So, what's going on for the two of you?" Teddy asked.

"More of the same, really," Jack responded.  "More so just working all the time."

"I heard that dad had to have a talk with you a few days ago," Bobby added, more out of general interest about what he had to say. 

"Oh, yeah, that," Jack responded, and he grew quiet.  His mind began to wander again, back to their conversation. 

|||||||||||||||||||

Jack knocked on his father's study, bracing himself for what was to come.  He knew that there must have been something that was pressing at his father, and he wanted to figure it out.

"Come in," his father's ruffled voice responded from behind the door.  Jack's hand reached for the bronze door knob, but part of him hesitated.  He knew what this was going to be about. Or, he at least had a few guesses.

Probably politics, Jack thought to himself.  Whenever does my father want to talk to me about anything else?

Jack opened the door, and saw this father sitting at his desk, his head buried in paperwork. 

His father had the lights in his office dimmed low, the only light illuminating from his desk lamp.  His father had the windows open, giving a slightly warm breeze, and the sounds of the sea.  The dark, grey clouds on the horizon indicated that a storm was going to roll in. 

"Dad?" Jack questioned, and Joe Sr.'s head rose from the midst of paperwork.

"Ah, Jack," Joe greeted his son with a smile, and gestured with his hand to sit down.  "Take a seat."

Jack walked into his father's study and shut the door behind him. 

As Jack walked into the room, an awkward silence ensued between the two of them. 

"So Jack, how have you been?" Joe asked.

"I've been good, it's been more of the same lately.  Work," Jack answered. 

Inside Jack had been hoping that his father was just going to cut to the chase.

"So, Dad.  Is there anything you want to talk to me about?"

"Well," Joe responded, and had a brief pause.

Oh God.  I was right.  It's about politics. 

"We need to talk about your race to the Senate."

Jack inwardly groaned.  Whenever did his father want to talk to him, it was about Jack's future.  Or rather, this father's dreams.  A dream that had been first started with his brother, Joe Jr., but then passed on to him.