Disclaimer: I don´t own HHAW
The incident with the speck left Whoville in shambles, but the Whos, strong-hearted and hard-headed as they were, didn´t let this fact get to them. Because nobody had died, and that was the most important.
Their respect for the mayor grew greatly too, and many (even the Chairman) apologised for not believing him. And Ned? He couldn´t be prouder. Not only JoJo, his son, started talking again, but his clever invention, the amazing Symphophone, helped to save their lives. But it was because of his son, that Ned was now lost in thought.
And so there he was, standing in the repaired Family Hall, looking absently at the pictures of his ancestors. It was Sunday, and Ned used the chance to take a day off. He was always working lately, trying to speed-up the city repairs, and so he didn´t have enough time for his family as he would have liked.
He was so lost in thoughts, that he nearly didn´t noticed JoJo trying to sneak around him, probably fearing that he´ll start talking again about how awesome it was being a mayor. No such chance.
"Going somewhere, JoJo?" Ned asked, deeply amused as JoJo stiffened and turned around to face him.
"To the Observatory," his son answered softly and looked at him uncertainly, as if asking for permission. Ned smiled. At least that much respect he still has.
"You may go, " he told him "but be back before dinner and get some sleep tonight – those bags under your eyes can´t be healthy."
He looked at him sternly and JoJo sighed, but nodded anyway. Then the young Who turned around to go, but Ned voice stopped him.
"And JoJo?"
JoJo looked back with a slight grimace, but was surprised, when his father just ruffled his hair softly.
"Be careful, okay?" Ned smiled.
His son stared at him, still waiting for their usual ´talk´, and his eyes widened, when none came. Seeing his son´s shocked gaze, Ned decided that that was his cue to leave. So he ruffled JoJo´s hair again and, humming softly, he headed for his study room.
Once he was there, he sighed softly and slumped into his chair, opening a photo-album on his lap. Unintentionally or not, his son´s Symphophone had awaken memories and feelings he thought long forgotten, making him feel little bit nostalgic. But it made him finally admit something he denied for a long time – that his son didn´t want to be a mayor.
Of course Ned was disappointed – but not in JoJo, but in himself. What kind of father deliberately ignored his child´s dream? Well, Sally told him, many times in fact, that there wasn´t a better man to sire her children, but right now it didn´t make Ned feel any better. Sure, his daughters loved him, that he knew, but where did he stand with JoJo? Did his son hated him, for not listening when he should? Or did he just didn´t care anymore?
The prospect of being completely nothing to JoJo scared him more than any other. Because even thought he loved all of his ninety seven children, his son, being the first-born, male and gifted, always had a special place in Ned´s heart.
He closed his eyes, and remembered...
Ned married Sally, when they´ve both been freshly eighteen, after dating nearly four years. And nearly a year later, Sally told him that she was pregnant. He had fainted at first, of course, but when he woke up to see his wife looking down at him worriedly, he just grabbed her, gave her the most passionate kiss and started cooing happily to her stomach, making her laugh.
The Old Mayor, Ned´s father Gail Mc´Dodd the Great, was strict, somewhat cold, but always fair. And, thought he didn´t show it, he loved his son to the death. So when he found out about his future grandchild, he rented a small flat near the city centre, and leaved the family manor to Ned and his wife.
Things were looking up. Both Ned and Sally had chosen the most beautiful room in the house, and furnished it, while the soon-to-be father took extra care to paint it a warm rose colour. As for the name, they had chosen JoJo, because it was unisex, and they didn´t have to argue over it.
Everything went well in the new Mc´Dodd family and their days were filled with sunshine and music.
And why music?
Mainly by the courtesy of Ned, who (even if you couldn´t tell) was the most talented violinist ever born in Whoville.
Ned was always proud of his gift – it made him special. Not only his world was filled with music, making every sound change to a beautiful song, but even his voice wasn´t so bad. It was his life, part of his very heart. And he hoped his son would be the same.
But life is cruel.
Sally was in her seventh month, when one morning, after she got up, her water broke. Ned was at the time in bathroom, when he heard her terrified screams. It took him only second to race to the kitchen and another one to grab his wife and bringing her to a Whoville hospital.
He made it in time, saving her life, but then he was forced to wait outside her room. He didn´t like it, but at the same time he didn´t want to stress Sally with his shouts. So he sat, and waited.
A hour later, the Old Mayor came, to give him his silent support. And after another hour, the door finally opened and there stood one of the doctors to give them both good and bad news.
The good news was, that Sally and his son (his son!) survived through the childbirth.
The bad news however...
Ned never cried once after his mother died, but he couldn´t help but break down, when the doctors told him that JoJo wouldn´t probably survive the night.
Ned´s father didn´t said anything, just clasped his shoulder tightly. There existed no words, that could heal a parent´s broken heart.
But his son, as if by miracle to enormous surprise of everyone, survived.
The first thing Ned noticed, when he looked at his child through the glass of the incubator, that JoJo was an awfully tiny baby. So small that in fact if he decided to hold him, he would fit into one hand. But he was strong and with his soft black and grey striped fur the most beautiful baby in the world. And he was Ned´s. And the new father couldn´t be happier.
A month later, both Sally and JoJo were finally deemed healthy enough to be released to home care. Another reason to be happy was a fact, that Sally didn´t suffer some permanent damage from her ordeal, and still could have another children. It left them feeling exalted – both of them grew up with at least forty siblings, so they hoped for a big noisy family. They were at first afraid it wouldn´t be possible.
JoJo was a happy baby. Always curious, always laughing, he brought joy to Ned´s life. Ned had taken to playing the violin to his son, seeing as it exited the little guy, and in the evening he always lulled JoJo to sleep by singing a lullaby. Sally grumbled good-naturedly, that she was JoJo´s mother, and therefore she should be having the privilege to be up all night, but Ned could see the happiness in her eyes, when she was watching them play together.
All was well again in the Mc´Dodd household.
But four years later, on twentieth of December, came another blow.
It was Ned´s first year anniversary of his mayorship and he was already a father to seven children, six girls and one boy. JoJo was a four years old, and very clever. Every second day he went with his father to the mayor´s office, and Ned took a great joy in explaining to him every piece of paperwork he was getting done.
That fateful day Ned was driving from near forest, having go there for a christmas tree. On the way back however, a deer jumped in the middle of the road. Ned, startled, pulled the car sharply off the way, not wanting to kill the animal. But he didn´t manage to avoid a lone tree and crashed.
He had woken up a week later, in Whoville hospital, to an embrace of a she-Who he loved.
Sally was scared, when he didn´t return that day. But she couldn´t go out looking for him. So she waited a hour, before she called Ned´s father. Together they mobilized a tracking team, which then started searching trough the woods. But even then they didn´t manage to find him until next day.
The first thing Ned noticed was, that his surrounding was quiet. Too quiet. The wind wasn´t whistling happily. Raindrops stopped singing their joyful songs. Everything sounded only like a slight incomprehensible muffle. The world was silent.
Ned had felt as thought as he had died a little inside. When he attempted play his violin, his fingers kept fumbling and tying together. He couldn´t sing a single song without being out of tune.
And it broke his heart.
But what was even worse then every other trouble listed above, was the reaction of his son, JoJo. Even thought clever for a four years old, he still wouldn´t understand the meaning of the accident Ned had. So when he had asked his father, why he didn´t enjoy the music anymore, Ned told him the only thing that at that time seemed plausible – that with Ned being the mayor, he didn´t have time for a music anymore. That was a mistake.
Since JoJo inherited Ned´s talent, he loved music as much as his father did. For him to hear, that it was Ned´s job that robbed him from his gift, was terrible, and so he started feeling resentful toward it, blaming it for every wrong his father did from then on. Not that Ned knew that.
The young mayor still saw the small curious boy, that wanted to be just like him, and so he refused letting that image go. He started speaking about how awesome it was being a mayor, hoping he´ll spark JoJo´s interest again, but he just managed to push him away.
The more and more he tried, the less and less his son talked to him, until he stopped speaking at all. And Ned deep down inside knew, that it was his fault.
A quiet knocking yanked him out of his thoughts. He looked at the door a little bemused. Who would that be? Sally never knocked and nobody apart from her have ever been in his study.
He shrugged and got up to the door. When he opened them, he blinked, surprised.
"JoJo?" His son was fidgeting on the threshold, looking slightly uncomfortable. Ned never saw him behave that way. "Is something wrong?"
"...Can I come in?" asked JoJo softly. Ned blinked again.
"Sure, why not." he smiled and stepped aside. JoJo breathed deeply and went inside. He immediately started looking around with interest – it was after all his first time here. He saw the photo-album and gave his father questioning look.
"Just remembering the past," Ned explained and brushed one of the photographs with his finger "when Whoville was Whoville, and specks were specks..." he trailed of at the troubled look that crossed over his son´s face. He sat down in his chair and motioned to JoJo to do the same.
"So what do you need, JoJo? Are you already back from the observatory?"
"I didn´t go there." That answer surprised Ned. His son, given the chance, would gladly live in the observatory permanently – he loved the place too much. So why did he stay at home?
"Why not?" he inquired. JoJo shrugged helplessly.
"I... didn´t feel like it?" his son answer was hesitant, as if he didn´t really believe it. Well, Ned didn´t believe it either.
"That´s a lie and you know it. Something´s bothering you." he squeezed his son´s hand "What´s wrong, JoJo?"
JoJo bit his lip.
"It – it´s just... I couldn´t... concentrate," he started and Ned gave him encouraging nod "and I still can´t. I´m... I´m confused."
"About what?" Ned asked. His son fidgeted again.
"You... didn´t talked to me." he said at least. Ned blinked.
"I´m talking to you now," he pointed out. JoJo made an impatient noise.
"That´s not what I meant," he growled, looking for the right words "you didn´t talk to me about the G-Greats and... about being a mayor..." he finished weakly and avoided Ned´s eyes.
Ned stared at him for a moment and then he gave a sad sigh.
"I messed up royally, didn´t I?" he asked, making JoJo look at him in confusion. Ned sighed again and then he forced a grin.
"Do you know, what´s awesome, JoJo?" His son said nothing, but a dark shadow entered his eyes. Ned´s grin widened. "You´re awesome."
JoJo blinked, and stared at him, surprised. Ned got up from his chair.
"And do you know why?" he continued. His son shook his head. Ned knelt before him, "It´s because you are the most amazing, clever and talented boy, that I ever had the pleasure to meet."
He smiled and stroked JoJo´s cheek softly, while his son was looking at him with wide eyes.
"You are awesome," Ned repeated "because your heart is so big it can hold a hundred of people, and maybe even more. Because a person can look at you, and he sees the love you harbour for your precious ones, and the passion you have for your music." he smiled sadly and all of sudden wrapped JoJo in tight but gentle hug.
"Dad-?" gasped JoJo, but Ned continued.
"I hurt you so bad," he whispered "so bad, that I can´t even imagine how much hurt you´ve been. But you, even thought I was hurting you, you never did anything to hurt me back."
He pulled back a little, and looked into his son´s eyes.
"I´m so sorry, JoJo," Ned said "I´m so sorry I didn´t listen when I should. I´m so sorry I pushed you into being a mayor against your own will. I´m so sorry I wasn´t the father I should be." he fell silent for a moment.
"But what I really want to say is something I should´ve told you a long time ago." he said and took JoJo´s head in his hands, forcing him to look in Ned´s eyes.
"JoJo, if you don´t want to be a mayor, you don´t have to be. You can be whoever you want, be it a musician or an inventor. Because no matter what happens, I want you to know, that I´m proud of you. Always was, and always will be. Nothing you´ll ever do will cause me to be disappointed in you. And do you know why?"
JoJo was shaking all over, but he shook his head.
"Because I love you. I love you so much it hurts, so much as it is possible for a father to love his son."
JoJo´s lip trembled, and the tears that kept gathering in his eyes finally spilled. He sniffed once and then he hugged Ned tightly, burying his face in his father´s furred chest.
Ned kissed JoJo´s top of his head lovingly and hugged him back. He didn´t know how long they´ve just been there, clinging together, but when JoJo finally pulled back, his eyes were red. But he was radiating pure happiness and wore a bright smile on his face.
Ned smiled too and ruffled JoJo´s hair, making it even more messy than it already was.
"You should start smiling more often," he said warmly "you have your mother´s smile." His son blushed slightly and ducked his head, embarrassed. Ned´s smile turned into teasing grin.
"I bet you can easily catch some lady friend with a smile like that," he grinned even more at his son´s mortified look "and after your solo on the roof of the city hall... I bet there are plenty of girls just waiting."
He couldn´t hold a laugh at the look of horror JoJo had on his face, and only laughed even harder, when his son glared at him.
JoJo, seeing his stare of doom wasn´t working, just crossed his arms and pouted, ignoring him. Ned still let out a chuckle or two, and went to sit back to his chair, where he started looking at the photos again.
"...Dad?" spoke JoJo after a while.
"Hmm?"
"You play a violin?"
The father looked at his son and then followed his line of sight, and saw he was looking at a photo, where a sixteen years old Ned was playing for an equally old Sally. He remembered that moment – it was that time he promised his girlfriend that he will marry her.
"That I did." he answered softly. JoJo frowned.
"Did? You don´t anymore? Why?" Ned was silent for a moment. Then he gave a sigh.
"Last time you asked me, you were four years old," he started "and I told you it was because I became mayor. I lied." he sighed again, while JoJo stared at him, frowning.
"I think I remember that, " his son murmured and then he shook his head "What was the real reason?"
"When I was twenty-three," Ned sighed once again "I had an accident. A car crash, to be specific." He looked at his hands, but not really seeing "I could hear a music once too." JoJo was silent but Ned could see his eyes widen slightly. He smiled softly.
"I wasn´t always such a duffer, you know." he said then laughed at his son´s disbelieving look "Shocking, I know. But true. I was really more like your grandfather, bless his soul, but more easy-going." he smiled a little "It´s part of a reason your mother said yes, when I asked her to marry me."
"But that day... changed everything. I don´t know what really happened, but..." he shook his head "All of my inner music just... went away." he rubbed his eyes tiredly "Twenty-three years the world was singing to me and suddenly everything was silent. It was horrible. Still is when I think about it."
Ned sighed and looked at JoJo.
"I couldn´t tell you. You wouldn´t understand at that time and it was still fresh to me. So I lied."
His son was staring at him, as if to find out, if he was being honest or not. When he saw, that he was indeed telling the truth, his look softened noticeably.
"I´m sorry." he said. Ned looked at him and smiled a little.
"It doesn´t matter anymore, it´s all in the past." he told him warmly and then he looked at the clock on his desk "My, it´s seven already? Well, we´d better go help your mother with a dinner," he moved up to stand "To ease her a little, you know."
JoJo nodded and swiftly went stand by the door. Ned stretched and groaned, when he felt his joints crack. "Ow, my back! I´m not getting any younger, that´s for sure." His son smirked at him.
"Then I will go ahead, old man, " he teased "I´ll see you in a hour or so." he grinned. Ned scowled at him.
"I will have you know, I´m not that old," he told JoJo, pouting, "I´m still agile as ever!"
"Your bones are telling a different story," his son shrugged. Ned shook his head and grumbled something about cheeky brats.
"Oh, and Dad?" Ned looked up to see his son grinning at him. JoJo smile widened "I will be a mayor. If only to be one of the Greats, just like you are, Dad." and with that, he left a gaping Ned alone in the study room.
Ned blinked then he laughed loudly.
"I swear," he was chuckling hysterically "I swear, Dad, you must be laughing somewhere just now." he quieted and looked fondly at the family photo that was hanging on his wall.
"Didn´t I tell you the same thing, when I was at JoJo´s age?"
Love? Hate? Please review!