AN: Have finally had the chance to do some writing. Not sure how frequent updates will be, but with the short story Talladega, I wanted to get working on this again.


As they neared the end of April, Henry forced them to take a break. He could see Jesse pushing himself to the limit on a daily basis and knew that if he didn't take care of himself, it wouldn't matter what shape the Hornet was in. He wouldn't allow him to race if he knew Jesse couldn't physically handle it.

He wished he'd just sit out for a while, they both knew there was no way Jesse would be driving the 1955 season, but Henry had cautioned more than once that maybe they should aim more towards the 1957 season. It would give Jesse more than enough time to recuperate, allow them both to regain some confidence and make sure they were in peak form when they went back on to the track.

Unsurprisingly, Jesse hadn't been thrilled with the idea. He didn't need immediate work, but he couldn't just sit around the homestead for over a year either. Listening to the other three talk of the happenings in Piston Cup put him on edge. He was being handed second hand information that was days or weeks old by the time it got to him. Not being able to be in the thick of the current administrative proceedings or voice his opinion on different possible changes made him irritable, and because he couldn't debate it with others it would turn in to a venting session whenever Lou, River or Junior shared those possible changes.

They'd begun to share less and less, not because they disagreed with Jesse, but when they were all helpless over a situation it didn't help to stir the pot. Calm waters are easier to handle than the rapids...

For once they were able to spend an afternoon with the Hudson brothers, taking up their usual seats at the table on the back porch while the brothers stood in the yard. They had filled them both in on the fact that things finally seemed to be settling down. The date of the opening race had been confirmed, only a few new rookies would be joining that year and they all finally had some time to themselves after the whirlwind fall and winter months that had usually been so quiet in the years before.

"Not even present, and you still cause trouble, Hud." River grinned faintly as he took the jar of shine Junior passed across the table. "All winter that's all we heard about. How will Piston Cup address this? How will you keep everyone safe? What will be done differently in the future?"

Jesse grunted faintly as he reached across with a gloved hand to catch the baseball that had been flung in his direction. It had been suggested by Dr. Horner to get some exercise in to strengthen his right arm and the muscles of the torso. It was simple enough in theory.

Except Dr. Horner didn't realize Henry still had an arm like a cannon.

"Break my fingers, Henry, I think this was just supposed to be catch..."

His brother only shrugged a shoulder before catching the ball that was thrown back.

Jesse glanced up and replied to River's comment. "When your middle name's trouble I guess it should just be expected."

They all knew his middle name was certainly not trouble, but no one commented as he caught the ball thrown again.

Henry lifted his glove and gestured skyward. "Loft it, Jesse. High."

While Jesse did as instructed, feeling the pull in his shoulder and back, Junior leaned back in his seat as it struck him sudden]ly.

"That's why-"

"Hmm?"

He looked toward Louise and gestured to the two in the yard. "I'd forgotten, was a couple years behind him, but Smokey was a hell of a ball player in school."

"It's why Jesse is going to need to ice that hand." River smirked.

"Yeah, you might wanna get that ice ready." Jesse glanced up with a knowing look, just close enough to hear their conversation.

"I'm assuming he was a pitcher."

"Mmhmm. Last two years he was there they went undefeated."

Lou raised a brow at them before looking back to the boys in the yard. It was obvious Jesse was burned out, with the last toss he caught he removed the glove and looked his left hand over before tossing the ball back to Henry as he joined him.

"How fast you ever pitch?" Louise asked loud enough from where she sat.

Jesse took everything to return to where they'd been kept the barn. He glanced up at Louise, then toward Henry, before looking the old leather gloves over. They'd originally been his father's and Henry's, and one very small glove had been left on the shelf that hadn't moved since the day Henry Sr. had left Georgia.

"Never got anything real accurate." Henry replied, adjusting his hat while looking up at the group from where he stood at the bottom of the steps with his hands on his hips. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see Jesse flexing his fingers.

"Can you still throw?"

He was about to admit that he couldn't. Age and time had taken their toll, despite the fact that he wasn't even yet thirty. He stopped though, when Jesse silently held out his glove and ball again. He was going to shake his head but Jesse was adamant and glanced knowingly at the items in his hand before meeting his brother's eyes again.

Henry pinched the back of his neck, sighing lowly as he relented.

"I mean-" Junior started. "You should be fairly warmed up by now."

"I'll say." Jesse muttered.

"Alright, fine." Turning the baseball in his hand, he studied the red stitching before looking back up at the others. "What am I throwing at?"

Jesse gestured toward the barn, smirking faintly as he started up the steps. "Can you hit the broad side of a barn?"

"Can I hit the broad side of a barn." He repeated, eyeing Jesse coolly. Studying the ball in his hand again he continued. "You're lucky you're still healing kid."

Jesse only grinned from where he sat on the railing and gestured to the barn silently.

Watching his brother carefully, Jesse wondered if that was the expression he wore before a race. It was just pitching a ball, there couldn't be that much thought behind it, but Henry looked from the barn to his glove and tossed the ball experimentally before turning it in his hand again. In that moment Jesse suddenly remembered going to his games with Ruth and their mother because Henry was Thomasville's starting pitcher and very rarely ever took the bench. Speed and athleticism had been as effortless to him as racing was to Jesse.

He could tell the others were waiting, afraid to say anything and break Henry's concentration, and Jesse could feel himself grinning before his brother ever released the ball.

With a harsh thunk, the baseball struck one of the old weathered boards and fell in to the grass. Even from where he stood, Jesse knew it had left a noticeable indentation on the barn wood.

The others of course had wanted to see for themselves and Jesse waited at the table for them to return, listening as Junior explained that the ball must have hit an old knot in the wood and had even put a decent crack through the board.

"I guess that answers your question."


"When are you going back in to the offices?"

"I dunno." Jesse muttered, leaning heavily against the passenger side door as they drove back from the garage. With the window down, he tilted his head just enough to let the late spring breeze ruffle his hair before scratching at the back of his head irritably. "End of May, June? What do you think?"

"I still think you should wait."

"This is just to get a schedule. I'm not walking back in there with expectations of getting the paperwork sorted out, just to see what's going on."

"You're being nosy."

"Mmm, maybe."

They'd needed some very specific tools from the garage and Jesse hadn't wanted to sit around at the house on his own, even for the half hour it might have taken to get in to town and back. Their short break in working on the Hornet had reminded him how exhausted he was though, and the sudden lack of activity had left him yawning in the passenger seat of the truck.

"You alright?"

"Just tired."

"We can take a break. You could get some sleep in during the hottest part of the day. I'll get those lights rigged up and we can work in the barn later tonight."

Jesse's first thought was to protest, but he could feel a headache waiting to break through. A few hours would hold off any possible discomfort, especially if he took a pain killer as a precautionary measure beforehand.

"That'll work."

"I'll drop you off, then. There're some things I can get done in the mean time."

Jesse left the back door open, only latching the little hook on the screen door before wandering in to the living room. He'd never admit it to anyone but there were times when having the air conditioner was nice. His room got sun through the windows all day long, making it an oven in late summer. Lying on the couch with the air on made for a much more comfortable, and much needed, few hours of rest.


The sand was bright, bright enough that even with his sunglasses it was difficult to keep from squinting. The heat was intense, and he could feel a bead of sweat run down from his temple while the engine of the Hornet roared. He flew around the turn, foot on the clutch and waiting to put it back in gear as he came out of it on the far end. There were no crowds, no cameras, no competitors, just him, the kid who'd risked it all for a chance to prove himself worthy enough of sitting behind the wheel. The kid who'd jokingly been told he had oil in veins and grease in his joints.

His heart soared while flying over small dunes and his stomach dropped in exhilaration as the back end fishtailed, tires digging through the soft sand as he came back another lap.

It was just him, blinding sun, soft sand, and crystal blue water that mirrored a navy blue Hornet.

And Ruth.

She was sitting up straight in the passengers seat, one leg curled under her comfortably and she laughed in excitement as they came down from an uneven dune. She put a hand out her window and leaned that direction to see the sun above them before putting her attention in front of them again.

In the straightaway near the water, she marveled at how blue it was, pointing out that the white crest of the waves stood out against the water the same way the white stood out against the navy blue of the Hornet's paint job. She was beautiful and radiant, and laughed without fear of needing to catch her breath, eyes shining with excitement as she watched out the windshield.

Jesse chanced a look away from the beach in front of him, glancing in her direction and taking a moment to appreciate seeing her so happy, so whole. Cutting his attention between her and the sand, he could feel his cheeks begin to hurt with how wide his smile must have been, mirroring his twin the same way they had countless times growing up.

She was there, dark hair loose and curling over her shoulders, in her favorite maroon flowered dress, sitting barefoot in the Hornet with him. She wasn't pale, she wasn't in pain, she wasn't fatigued, she was happy and with him. The way it should have been.

He looked away from the sand one more time, glancing in her direction to say something but her eyes had widened, catching him off guard as she threw a hand toward the dashboard in front of her, bracing herself.

"Jesse, watch out!"

He woke with a gasp, knowing exactly what came next. He was sitting up straight from where he'd been napping on the couch all afternoon...

Breathing deeply, he ran a hand through his hair and realized it was well past evening and the voice at his side finally grounded him firmly in reality.

"Are you alright-..."

He glanced up at Henry briefly before pushing himself to get up. "Yeah...yeah, just a nightmare..." He brushed his hand over the back of his neck and glanced at the wall clock. "Ruth was there..."

Henry only watched him a moment, the car lights of a vehicle driving down the road out front passing over his face.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Jesse asked as he went to the kitchen, glancing over his shoulder as he reached for a glass.

"You're burnt out, Hud. We can wait a few days before we start again."

Jesse's eyes narrowed briefly at the name, maybe he was having a memory laps but he didn't think that was a nickname Henry used for him very often.

He wasn't sure what it meant, maybe it didn't mean anything. He was too tired to have that particular conversation at that time and only nodded, refilling his glass with water.

"You staying or goin' home?"

"What do you want me to do?"

Jesse shrugged, gesturing in to the house. "I'm just going back to bed. You can take your old room...or the couch. Wherever..."

"My room."

They both knew he still had enough clothing and belongings there that he could remain as long as he wanted. Henry had always lived between two houses, the homestead, and the one he'd purchased at twenty-four when his garage had taken off.

They walked silently up the stairs, muttering goodnights in the landing, and Henry paused and narrowed his eyes in concern when Jesse opened the door to Ruth's room and stepped inside quickly.

The maroon sundress still hung in the corner of the closet and Jesse pulled the material toward the light of the room to look it over silently. There was nothing wrong with it, it was still in just as good of shape as Ruth had ever left it. With a low sigh, he let the fabric go and pushed the hanger back against the other clothing stored away.

"What are you doing?" Henry asked as he flipped the switch and exited the room.

"I'm not really sure..."

He titled his head in sympathy, they had all done similar things when their mother had passed. Without a word, he reached out and gripped Jesse's shoulder, pulling him close and only releasing him a few moments later.

"Goodnight, Hollywood."

"Goodnight."