[legendsport]

Egypt, Georgia: May 11, 1916:

"That's not fair!" Jimmy shouted.

Alice glared in response and said through gritted teeth, "Don't raise your voice to me. I'm still your mother and you're not even 16 yet."

Jimmy threw his hands in the air and took a deep breath. Alice could see him visibly try to contain himself and though she was furious, she mentally willed herself to calm down.

Her not-quite-16 year-old son said, in a softer tone, "It's not fair. You allowed Jack to go to Canada."

"This is not the same thing, James, and you surely realize that." Jimmy frowned at her use of his Christian name. He knew all too well that when she did that, she meant business and would not be easily swayed. In fact, he could not remember any instance where she had been moved by either himself or any of his brothers when she used Joseph, Roland, John, James, etc.

He sighed. "This is just not right. I just want to make a difference," he said and gave her a pleading look that almost, but not quite, hit the mark. The stakes were too big.

"Jimmy, you're not old enough, even if you wait until you're 16. And I will not have you lie to get in, either."

Alice now saw resignation in his eyes. "I haven't asked Pop about this," he said.

She flared again and spat out, "You'd better not consider trying to pit us against each other. It will not work, buster."

Jimmy said with a rueful grin, "I know that. I just meant that I came to you first because," his lips moved into a wide smile now as he finished, "you're the tough one."

Alice chuckled. "That's true enough, but never tell your father that."

She shook her head. "I don't know what's gotten into you - do you want to be killed? That's what's going on over there, you know."

"I know, but it's not right what the Germans did to Belgium."

Alice frowned. "This is not our fight. And you're too young to be running off to Canada to join the Canadian Army."

She clapped her hands, signaling that the conversation was over.

"Now, go try on that suit. Your brother's wedding is next week and if I need to take in your pants, I need to know right now."

Jimmy sighed again.

"Cheer up - don't be a downer. This is supposed to be a happy time. Joe & Edna will want us all smiling for their big day so don't spend the next week moping around because I won't let you go off to France to get shot like a dog in some smelly trench."

"Fine," he said and left the room.

Alice shook her head. She'd had a houseful of boys for as long as she could remember, and they were all athletic and rambunctious. But Jimmy... he was different. He was an idealist. Well, she thought, at least I've squashed that harebrained scheme.

She returned to her mental checklist and realized she'd need to send Rollie to pick up Jack and Vera at the train station.

She rushed out of the room, shouting "Rollie! Go start the Hupmobile!"

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Meanwhile, Rufus was out behind the barn with Danny and Fred. Of all his sons, this pair were the first to really appear to have caught the baseball bug that Rufus himself had been infected with since childhood.

"OK, Dan, choke up a bit," he told his son as he watched the youngster tentatively wave the bat.

At 11-years-old, Danny was starting to look like a potential prospect to Rufus' practiced scouting eye. Fred, almost exactly one year younger, was also starting to show signs of real talent.

Rufus couldn't help himself - he found this incredibly exciting. Sure, he was proud of Joe, who had become not only a boxing star (he was likely to be getting a title shot soon) but also had starred on the gridiron. Rollie was a true phenom with a golf club and from all he'd heard from Vera, young Jack was a terror on the ice.Jimmy... when he put his mind to it, was just as athletically gifted as his brothers, but his heart was elsewhere. Rufus realized, that if he was honest with himself, that he didn't really understand his fourth son. But Danny and Fred - they were chips off the old block.

"How's this Pop?" Danny asked, pulling Rufus out of his reverie.

"Looks good to me, Dan. Give her a swing and see how it feels," he replied.

Danny swung the bat; his form was a little rough, but Rufus could fix that, no problem. He looked behind Dan where Fred was crouched. Fred liked catching - Rufus blamed Possum for that - and had coerced Rufus into buying him an actual Edgerton brand mask "just like the FABL guys wear."

He had one of Possum's old gloves (which was much too large, but Rufus wasn't throwing hard anyway, so it'd be fine, he reckoned). He patted it now and shouted, "Pour one in here, Pop!"

Danny glanced at his brother over his shoulder, "Hold your water Freddy! I'm not ready."

"Aww, you're no hitter anyway, Danny boy!"

"I'm still bigger than you, big mouth!"

Rufus smiled. This was about as happy as he could ever remember being.

"OK, fellows, settle down!" he yelled with the grin still plastered on his face.