Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

"I'm your national anthem,
Boy, you're so handsome,
Take me to the Hamptons, Bugatti Veyron,
He loves to romance 'em, reckless abandon,
Holding me for ransom, upper echelon,"

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

Victoria Liberty Belle Madison was careful, reserved, and a direct descendant of President James Madison.

She was also black.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was reckless, magnetic, and a direct descendant of Irish Immigrants.

He was also going to be President of the United States.

Meeting him was by chance, falling in love with him was accidental, and making history with him — as her calculating father-in-law once put it — was just "the Kennedy way".

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

The Reluctant American Heiress

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

"Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?"

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

The Cocky American Patriot

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

"Will you still love me when I got nothing but my aching soul?"

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

The American Dream

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

"I know you will,
I know you will,
I know that you will...

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

"I had never met people like them [the Kennedys] before...they were so confident and thoughtless — dangerous and bold. They did not live ordinary lives, because they were not ordinary people. It was honestly all so frightening, but also thrilling and remarkable — and Jack...oh, my Jack...was at the center of all of it. I should have known from the moment he smiled at me that my life would never be the same."

- Former First Lady Liberty Belle Kennedy, 2018

.

.

.

.

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

"I've seen the world, done it all, had my cake now,
Diamonds, brilliant, and Bel Air now,
Hot summer nights, mid-July,
When you and I were forever wild,
The crazy days, city lights,
The way you'd play with me like a child,"

Young and Beautiful - Lana Del Rey (2013)

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

July 2018

Former First Lady Liberty Belle Kennedy was a very private individual. Despite so much of her life being in the spotlight for decades, there was still so little that the American people knew about her. Her background, her personality, her likes and dislikes — so much of who she was before she married President John F. Kennedy was a mystery.

Even after his passing.

She was an enigma to biographers, who have only ever been able to scratch the surface of who she was — a descendant of President James Madison — the Father of the Constitution, born on July 4th, 1930, was raised by her uncle since the age of 10. No one knew the finer details — the history of the silent woman behind the lovely smile and gentle eyes, who captured the attention of the world along with her husband.

However, despite her mystery, her tenure as First Lady was distinct and profound, being among the ones next to Eleanor Roosevelt and Michelle Obama. She championed hard for civil rights and was historically closer to the African American community than any First Lady before her, breaking barriers and challenging social norms for their benefit. She was also interested in the development of young children and their education, wanting to build up the literary and mathematical talents of the next generation.

Working with her personal secretary and closest friend, Jacqueline Bouvier Husted, they brought about the White House Restoration project, restoring its historical character for future generations to enjoy, and forming organizations and committees dedicated to that purpose.

Though she did not speak much, having very limited speeches during her husband's political career, she still had a remarkable effect on American history — culturally and politically — and has become a distinguishable icon.

Which is why Chérie Gordon was honored to have been chosen to interview her and write her biography.

The young historian had always had an interest in the former First Lady, and was amazed so little was written about her. She was one of the most photographed women in history, but no one even knew her birthplace or mother — notes in history that seemed almost hidden.

Chérie was determined to learn them.

Sitting in the living room of the historic Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, Chérie sat face to face with the matriarch in a very homey setting. Pictures of the first generation of Kennedys to the latest littered the room in a grandmotherly way with a picture of the late President himself set next to her on a small table. Next to him was the current President, Jimmy Kennedy — her grandson.

To be the descendant, a wife, a mother, and a grandmother to a President was a historical phenomenon, but for Liberty Belle Kennedy that was her life.

With surprisingly still thick, dark hair at the age of 88, she sat across from Chérie with her iconic Mona Lisa smile — her skin tanner than the historian had imagined, but still wrinkled and worn with her pale green eyes still as bright from the pictures of her youth. She saw all her freckles as well as the one dimpled cheek that the President adored, and how round and high her cheekbones were.

Chérie also noted how very distinct her appearance was up close.

The structure of her cheeks, eyes, and lips were very telling — a thinly veiled truth that no one seemed to acknowledge. Liberty Belle was known for her picturesque beauty, but it was obvious now it was because it was not Eurocentric. In full color and up close, Chérie, who was a black woman, could easily spot another black woman on any given day.

And there was a black woman sitting directly in front of her.

Furrowing her brows, she had a list of questions forming on her lips but was speechless as to which to ask first, gripping the pen in her hand tight with anxiety.

How had no one not noticed before?

Taking a deep breath, Chérie finally asked. "Mrs. Kennedy, how long have you been whitepassing?"

"...Since the summer of...1940...when my uncle...took me from Georgia," She spoke, slow and careful. But not as if trying to think of words to paint a certain picture, but as if she was trained to do so to ensure her words were neat and easy to hear. There was a sweet Southern twang to her voice. "I've hidden the truth...for so long...it's time the world knew."

"Did he know?..."

For the first time that day, her smile lifted to her eyes and her eyes watered. "He was the first...to figure it out and...love all of me. I never had to hide...with him."

Chérie smiled at this statement — no longer seeing a sophisticated American icon, but a young woman in love. It was obvious she missed him.

It was also obvious now why she wanted the interview.

She wanted her truth to be told now — her story from her own words. Chérie understood this, and her responsibility in making sure she got it right.

"Mrs. Kennedy, when were you born?" She asked earnestly.

Liberty Belle took a deep breath and smiled. "July 4th, 1930 in Atlanta, Georgia. My father...was a biracial lawyer named Jamie Edward Madison...and my mother...was a black nurse named Elizabeth Gardner...they...were all I had in the world...u-until...1940."

Chapter Text

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

"They call me a dreamer,
Well maybe I am,
But I know that I'm burnin' to see,
Those far away places,
With the strange-soundin' names,
Callin', callin' me,"

Far Away Places -
Margaret Whiting (1948)

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

July 1948

Victoria had read books like this — a beautiful, white manor, sitting close to the edge of the Atlantic with white sand and blue waves at its cusp. It was very serene and picturesque, persuading her to take a picture with her cousin's camera. She had never been to the beach before — or anywhere outside of New York when she thought about it. Unlike her cousins, who had seen much of the world, Victoria was restricted to New York City — often suspiciously getting in trouble before a family trip. Which is interesting to her since she spent majority of her days either in her room, the music room, or on campus at Barnard College.

Yet, her dear Aunt Portia was always blaming her for something.

Very interesting, indeed.

She was honestly surprised she was allowed on this trip. Most of her travel was through the books in her Uncle George's library, where she would indulge herself for hours — even in the more spicier material that her uncle kept tucked away. In the library, she was able to travel to London, Paris, and Madrid in one day — seeing the world in her own way with no assistance from her family. Though she could not wait for the day she could see it all for herself.

But for now, the salty air and seaside breeze of Hyannis Port, Massachusetts was enough for Victoria, freeing her for once from the clutter and smog of New York City. Taking another picture, she allowed herself to relish in the moment, feeling another sweet breeze rustle by her.

"What are you doing, kid?" William Madison questioned, pulling Victoria's attention away from the ocean. William was Victoria's oldest cousin — the only son of George and Portia Madison. He was tall and lean, having his mother's yellowish blonde hair and his father's hazel eyes. He had a rather long face with prominent frown lines. "Everyone's waiting for you inside — you know how mother gets."

Blinking rapidly, Victoria for the first time noticed she was the only one still outside — their luggage long unloaded and moved inside with their car securely parked away. She had a bad habit of blocking things out, but for so much to be done in a short amount of time without her noticing was concerning.

"You got to stop that daydreaming, Victoria," William scolded, taking her hand and moving her towards the house. "You turn 18 tomorrow, so you have to be more aware of your surroundings."

Victoria nodded in silence, vaguely remembering that tomorrow was her birthday — as well as the United States of America's. She briefly wondered if that was the reason why she was allowed on this trip, but quickly dismissed it. The Madisons never really celebrated her birthday — with just one gift from her uncle each year — but they did celebrate America's independence, going all out since their ancestor, President James Madison, drafted its constitution.

Her last real birthday that she actually enjoyed was when her parents were alive.

"Remember to be on your best behavior, Victoria," William warned as they went up the steps of the long porch. "This weekend is important."

"Yes," She thought sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "The relative that rarely spoke was going to be the one causing all the trouble."

But, yet again, Victoria nodded, not saying a word and being very obedient as she obviously always was.

When William and Victoria entered the manor, the Madison family was still standing close to the door, looking rather tense and impatient as another, much larger family stood close by. All eyes went to her, and she — hating to be the center of attention — directed her gaze up to William as if he was the blame for her lateness. He rolled his eyes at her antics.

"I found her, everyone," He informed the room. "She was off taking pictures of the ocean."

"She has a tendency to wonder off," Her Aunt Portia chuckled nervously before walking over and grabbing her hand rather roughly to drag her over to stand with her cousins. "Come now, dear, we have to make introductions."

Aunt Portia lined Victoria up with her rest of her cousins just like they had practiced at home. At the front was Amelia, who was the oldest daughter and favorite, with dark hair and brown eyes with a statuesque type of beauty that made her alluring and frightening. She was the cousin that Victoria confidently knew hated her as that was the first thing she told her when Uncle George first brought her home.

"I hate you — you're nothing to me."

Cora, the second daughter of the family who stood next to Amelia, was rather plain and uninteresting. She also had dark hair with her father's hazel eyes, but had no charm to work them in her favor. As the middle daughter, she was often overlooked and ignored compared to her older sister, and sometimes took out that frustration on Victoria by calling her a very dirty word that Uncle George told them never to use.

"At least I know I'm better than you — you're just a nigger."

Daisy, who stood in between Cora and Victoria, was the youngest daughter and the one who looked the most like their crazy mother — which was humorous to Victoria because she was her favorite cousin. She was blonde and whimsical, keeping her hair in a short bob so all attention went to her doe like brown eyes. She always wore a cheeky smile, being the playful younger sister that loved pranking her family. She was always nice to Victoria, but would leave her to be blamed if her pranks were not received well.

"Don't punish Vicki too bad, daddy — remember she's just an orphan."

The only outlier appearance wise in the family was Victoria. Unlike the rest the Madisons who were pale and Eurocentric, she had a glowing olive toned complexion with cat like pale green eyes and dark hair. Her cheekbones were round and high with one cheek having a distinct dimple, and her skin was dusted with tiny freckles. She looked like her mother, but due to her father's lineage she had a lighter complexion.

She was black, but her uncle insisted that she told the world she was white.

"Ambassador," Uncle George addressed a tall man with graying copper hair and cold blue eyes, wearing a pair of glasses. Victoria had recognized him from newspapers. The disgraced U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom — Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. "Meet my lovely family — my wife, Portia."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ambassador," Aunt Portia smiled — a little too hard for comfort. "Thank you so much for welcoming us to your home."

"The pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Madison," Joe Sr. said. "You have such a pretty wife, Georgie."

A very small woman next to Joe Sr. cleared her thought at the compliment — her blue eyes watching him expectantly. She also had dark hair with a creamy complexion.

"Let me introduce you both to my wife," Joe Sr. said, stepping aside to let the smaller woman come closer. She was very stylish, but had a very strained and careful smile. "This is my lovely Rose."

"Charmed to meet you both," She nodded to them. "We are so excited to have the descendants of the 4th President of our country in our home."

"Thank you for having us, Mrs. Kennedy," Uncle George said. "My children are especially happy to be here. Let me introduce you to them — this is my eldest and only son, William."

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am."

"My daughters — Amelia, Cora, and Daisy."

"Your home is beautiful, Mrs. Kennedy."

"Absolutely gorgeous."

"Thank you for letting us come."

"And my niece, Victoria."

All eyes settled on Victoria again, expecting a polite remark, but the pale eyed girl simply smiled, nodding her head to the Kennedy matriarch. The exchange caused an awkward silence to develop in the room that turned Joe Sr.'s smile into a frown. Aunt Portia noticed and quickly rectified the issue.

"She's terribly shy," She informed hastily. "Meeting new people causes her to freeze up."

"Oh," Rose nodded. "Well good thing you are here, dear. My children have the ability to make people open. You'll be a chatter box in no time."

"I highly doubt that," Victoria thought, smiling as Rose returned to her husband's side.

"Let me introduce my family," Joe Sr. announced, walking to stand next to a fairly skinny young woman. She was tall with stunning blue eyes and dark hair and the most prettiest smile Victoria had ever seen.

"This is Eunice."

"Nice to meet you all!"

Standing next to Eunice was another young woman who also had dark hair, but her eyes were violet and her smile was calm and simple.

"This is Patricia — we call her Pat."

"Welcome to our home!"

Victoria was caught off guard by the young man next to Patricia, who was staring at her rather hard. He was average height with brown hair, steely blue eyes, and a dimpled chin. Out of all the Kennedys present, he looked the less confident.

"This is one of my sons, Robert."

"We call him Bobby," Rose inputted with affection.

"It's, uh, nice to have you folks all here."

His eyes bounced to everyone, but settled on Victoria, making her frown at the attention.

"This is my sweet baby girl, Jean," Joe Sr. smiled. "Jeanie is also shy, but knows how to speak."

Victoria ignored the jab from the disgraced Ambassador and focused on the youngest daughter. Jean had a smile similar to that of her older sister, Eunice, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. She also had dimpled chin, but far cuter than her brother's.

"So excited to have you all here! Oh, and this is my friend, Ethel Skakel!"

"Howdy!" Ethel exclaimed with a bright smile. She had short brown hair with warm brown eyes and a button nose. "I'm Bobby's girlfriend."

The last Kennedy to be introduced was the baby of the family. He was stockier than Bobby and looked a little taller with dark brown hair and blue eyes.

"And this is my youngest, Edward."

"But you can call me Ted!"

"Where's Jack?" Her uncle immediately asked with a hint of concern. She raised a brow at the question.

"He'll be here," Joe Sr. stated. "Trust me — he knows how important this weekend is."

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

The guest room Victoria was given was neat and comely, perfectly arranged with a vase of beautiful flowers to greet her on the night stand. There was one bed and dresser in the room with a window that gave her a beautiful view of the ocean. She opened it, allowing the ocean air to blow through the white curtains and fill the room. Propping her arms on the sill for her head to lean on, her eyes watched the waves in wonder, reminding her of the sea adventures of Moby Dick. She wanted to know what the water felt like, making a note to herself to explore it later.

For now, she will just watch each wave form and crash, drowning out the rough housing of the Kennedys below.

They seemed to have started a game of football on the lawn below, pulling her cousins into their fun. She found this amusing since all Madison women were as soft and fragile as they came, but she was just going to keep her mouth shut on that matter.

However, with everyone outside that did give Victoria the opportunity to do some exploring. Finding the living room, her curiosity led her to the large array of family photos scattered about. Scanning over them, she noticed that four Kennedys were missing from today's introduction — two boys and two girls. She knew that a Jack was missing from her uncle's exchange with Joe Sr., but where were the other siblings?

She pondered this as she made her way to the piano, taking it upon herself to sit down and open the keys to play. Music came natural to her — no doubt a talent passed down from her mother who taught her. It was a way to help her with her speech as a child — singing and whistling to music came far easier than talking for her. Her mother realized this and would spend hours playing with her just to her voice through singing.

"You're going to talk one day, my sweet Belle — just keep playing and singing until you do."

Her mother was always patient with her, so was her father. The only people who had a problem with it was her distant kin. Upon her first conversation with her Aunt Portia, she was immediately slapped in face and scolded.

"You're 10 years old — you should know how to talk properly."

Her cousins constant teasing did not help nor did her uncle's indifference to his wife's cruel corrective measures to get her to speak properly. She still remembered those long nights with her knees on a bed of rice for not saying a sentence without stuttering. She learned quickly it was just best not to talk — be as quiet as possible and the pain would stop.

And it did.

Remarkably, she was able to finish school and enter college without muttering a sound — her work ethic and written work making up for what she could not say. She was a Madison after all — when your ancestor drafted the very government that the country still governs by of course you are a genius. The same goes for her father and uncle as well as William and Amelia. Cora and Daisy were the only ones lacking, but they seemed to not care. Daisy knew for a fact she was going to be a trophy wife to some poor sucker, and Cora knew their family name alone would still get her far in life.

The advantages of being white and privileged.

Victoria could not live by such complacency. Knowledge was power, and with power came freedom. She wanted nothing more to be free — to do as she wanted and pleased, and see the far away places she read so much about in books.

Finding her right key on the piano, Victoria played effortlessly with her fingers, humming softly to the song in her head as her eyes found the sea again. Looking beyond it, she smiled at the possibilities waiting for her.

"Far away places with strange-soundin' names, far away over the sea..,"  She sung softly. "Those far away places with the strange-soundin' names, are callin', callin' me..."

"Goin' to China or maybe Siam, I want to see for myself...Those far away places I've been readin' about...in a book that I took from the shelf..."

"I start gettin' restless whenever I hear...the whistle of a train...I pray for the day I can get underway...and look for those castles in Spain..."

"They call me a dreamer, well maybe I am...but I know that I'm burnin' to see...those far away places with the strange-soundin' names...callin', callin' me..."

"I pray for the day when I'll find a way...those far away places to see...," She finished.

"So you do talk?"

Victoria jumped up from the piano in a panic, nearly falling over the bench when she found Robert at the doorway of the living room. He immediately ran over to her to assist her — an apology ready on his lips as she squatted his hands away.

"Sorry...," He said sincerely. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just came in to get some water, and I heard you playing...You sing really nice."

Victoria merely smiled, nodding her head to confirm she accepted the apology and waiting for him to leave. He did not. He stayed, smiling nervously at her, making the entire moment awkward.

"Um...," He started before taking a seat at the piano. "Can you play for me...please? I would really like to hear you sing again."

He stared up at her with gentle eyes, waiting patiently for her to sit down with him. Victoria only ever played for herself, not liking an audience but it looked as though the Kennedy man was not leaving any time soon. Sighing, she decided to sit down next to him.

"Do you take any requests?" He asked in a joking manner, but Victoria ignored him, playing the previous song she was singing. He did not complain, listening quietly to her play and sing. He seemed content with it.

When Victoria finished, she jumped again at the sound of several hands clapping, and turned her head to find everyone in the living room now — the clapping mainly coming from the Kennedys. Her family, who were rather surprised by her performance, only stared and smiled.

"And here I thought you were a mute!" Edward said, clapping the loudest. Victoria raised a brow at the comment.

"Can you play for us again?" Eunice asked, taking a seat close to her on the sofa. Patricia, Jean, and Ethel followed behind her, filling up the sofa quickly.

"Yes, please play!"

"That was so lovely!"

"I wished I knew how to play like that!"

Victoria eyes twitched at the attention, and turned her head to het uncle to get her out this situation. He usually diverted attention away from her, but before he could say anything, Joe Sr. patted his hand on his shoulder.

"Your niece there got a voice, Georgie," Joe Sr. complimented. "How about we all retire here for a while to hear her sing before dinner."

"That's a lovely idea, Joe," Rose agreed. "I'll ask Wanda to prepare tea for all of us."

"Then it's settled," Joe Sr. said, turning his gaze to Victoria. "Go on now, child."

Again, Victoria looked to her uncle, who gave her a nod to continue and she sighed. Turning back to the keys, she thought for a moment before pursing her lips together to start a cheerful tune before playing it on the piano.

"I love those dear hearts and gentle people, who live in my hometown, because those dear hearts and gentle people, will never ever let you down," She began, thinking her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. She remembered the small neighborhood she grew up in and the kids she used to play with there. Her neighbors — the Kings — were her favorite playmates. They used to spend hours outside with each other with the day ending with them either having dinner at her house or the Kings'.

"They read the good book from Fri till Monday, that's how the weekend goes, I've got a dream house I'll build there one day, with picket fence and ramblin' rose..."

The Kennedy women started clapping to the music, nodding their heads together in rhythm with the melody. Robert was also nodding his head — a pleasant smile on his lips. Her family did not say or do much, but smiles seemed more genuine now — the happy tune of one of Dinah Shore's hits making them at ease.

"I feel so welcome each time I return, that my happy heart keeps laughing like a clown," Victoria sung easily, smiling at the thought of returning to Georgia. There were so many family and friends she missed there. "I love the dear hearts and gentle people, who live and love in my hometown..."

Getting into the song, Victoria turned her head to Robert and song to him directly. "There's a place I'd like to go and it's back in Georgia, where your friendly neighbors smile and say hello, it's a pleasure and a treat to meander down the street, that's why I want the whole wide world to know..."

Victoria started ad libbing the beep and bops of the song as the entire room started to sing the chorus. She allowed their voices to take over as she continued playing, smiling at the harmony they were creating. Music had the power to bring people together, and it was nice for once to participate in normal family activities with her own family.

"I feel so welcome each time that I return, that my happy heart keeps laughing like a clown," Victoria sung, returning to close out the song. "I love the dear hearts...and gentle people...who live and love...in my hometown..."

For once that day, Victoria did not jump from the sound of clapping and blushed at the applause — even earning a clap from Uncle George, William, and Daisy. Aunt Portia, Amelia, and Cora only smiled — the corners of their lips never reaching their ears.

"You know I taught her everything she knows," Amelia lied, gaining the attention in the room. "When she first came to us, she couldn't even hold a tune."

Victoria did not even react to the lie, knowing how her family worked. Anything she exceeded in, they always took credit somehow. It was such a normal occurrence that she no longer cared anymore.

"Oh, wow! Would you like to play next, Amelia?" Eunice asked.

"Oh, I would love to, but this is good practice for our sweet Victoria — she can continue."

Victoria rolled her eyes, and began a new song.

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

"H-h-happy F...fourth of J-july, Uncle G-george," Victoria greeted her uncle.

She found him alone in the sun room after breakfast, reading "The Great Gatsby" — one of his favorites. She enjoyed the book as well, having read it about five times. Ironically, Daisy was named after the Daisy in the book, and grew up to be very similar to her even though she never read it. Strange how naming a child goes. Her name was supposed to be in celebration of Independence Day — Victoria Liberty Belle (Victory Liberty Bell).

Her father had came up with the name as a joke, but her mother liked it so much it stuck. They had an interesting sense of humor.

"Happy Birthday, Victoria," Uncle George said, looking up from his book and peering at her over his glasses. He then stood up, reaching behind to his back pocket to pull out a long, neatly wrapped box. He handed it to her unceremoniously. "I hope you like it. It's something nice for you to wear."

"...T-thank you, Unc-cle George," She smiled with a nod. With nothing else to say, she left him to his reading, unwrapping her gift as she followed the sounds of her cousins and the Kennedys outside. 

Within less than 24 hours in being under their roof, Victoria came to the conclusion that the Kennedys were very competitive people, who loved dominating sports. In what had to be their fourth football game since their arrival — mind you they just arrived yesterday afternoon — William had been tackled down for the tenth time with four of them being done by a Kennedy woman. One being painfully executed by Ethel. She was pretty sure when she witnessed the eleventh one while putting on her brand new bracelet, William was permanently out the game as he had not gotten up yet.

"You want to join the game, Victoria?" Patricia asked with a beaming, eager smile.

Victoria did not hesitate to shake her head "no". She knew she was delicate and fragile, and did not like the idea of being in pain on her birthday.

She instead found an empty rocking chair on the porch and sat down, opening up where she left off on in "The War of the Worlds". She remembered hearing a dramatized version of it on the radio that had their next door neighbor in a panic because they thought it was a real invasion occurring. It took her father an hour to convince him we were not being invaded by Martians.

Victoria focused in and out on the football game as she read, chuckling to herself from hearing her cousins' exhaustion compared to the Kennedys' tenacity. It was almost contagious — almost.

"You all started the game without us?" A new voice approached, walking upon the lush green lawn of the property. It sounded very Boston like the rest of the Kennedys.

"Jack!" Jean exclaimed, running up to the new person and nearly knocking him over when she jumped into his arms.

Peering over her book, Victoria found the entire group circling around "Jack" — her cousins especially excited to meet him. This new Kennedy was tall, skinny, and nicely tanned with unkempt brown hair and hooded bluish green eyes. He had a well defined jawline with freckles and a radiant smile. He also looked somewhat sickly — his thinness being slightly concerning. Everyone seemed overwhelming excited to see him, desperate to seek his attention and talk to him as he stood with two other young men close behind him.

Her cousins made their introductions, being sickeningly sweet and over flirty with the young man. He ate it all up though, making easy conversation with them.

"Welcome to Hyannis Port, ladies," He smiled, stuffing his hands in his wrinkled shorts. His entire attire was wrinkly as if he just threw on the first thing he could find in his closet.

While listening to Amelia talk, his relaxed eyes swept over the landscape, taking in the ocean, then the beach before glancing over the lawn to the house and landing on Victoria. His eyes settled on her, squinting a bit before an easy smile came to his lips followed by a wave in her direction.

Blinking at the wave, Victoria returned it, and brought her attention back to her book. She passively listened as another game of football was played with the three newcomers — the Kennedys winning yet again against their opponents. At this point, her cousins should stop before they embarrassed themselves any further.

Finding a good stopping point in her book, Victoria went back inside, vaguely hearing her name being called, but ignoring it. Walking past the sun room, she peaked her Aunt Portia having tea with Rose — no doubt gossiping with each other. She was hoping to go unnoticed, but Rose spotted her.

"Victoria, dear, why aren't outside with the others?" She asked.

The direct question put Victoria in a tight spot as she had to actually say something now instead of the generic head nod or shake. Biting her lip, she tried to think of a single word that could answer the matriarch.

"Mother?" A familiar voice called out entering the home.

"Jack?" Rose responded, and within minutes her son appeared, entering the sun room and greeting her with very brief cheek kisses.

"Portia, this is my second oldest, John — we call him Jack," Rose introduced. "He's the Congressman. Jack, this is Mrs. Madison."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Madison."

"It's nice to meet you as well, Congressman," Aunt Portia beamed. "Have you had the chance to meet my children?"

John nodded. "Yes, ma'am. They're not very good at football."

The chuckle that came from Victoria from the quip was accidental, and shifted John's focus to her. He grinned at her, letting a chuckle out himself before turning to completely face her.

"I don't think I was introduced to you."

"That's Victoria — George's niece," Aunt Portia informed with a sour look.

"Victoria," John repeated. "Like the queen?"

"That would be appropriate, but that was not the mindset of her parents. She was born on the 4th of July, so they decided to give her a celebratory name. Victoria Liberty Belle Madison would never be my choice, but to each their own," Aunt Portia shrugged with a conceited chuckle.

"Victoria Liberty Belle Madison?" Rose repeated, arching her a brow. "Were they not well?"

Victoria frowned at the question — not appreciating her late parents' sanity being questioned for their naming choice, especially by someone who did not know them. Yes — Victoria Liberty Belle Madison was a very unique name, but it was not a bad name. Her parents loved the name, and so did she.

"I like it."

Aunt Portia's chuckle came to an immediate stop upon hearing those words come from John. "Excuse me?"

"I like it," John repeated. He was still grinning at Victoria. "'Liberty Belle' — perfect for a girl born on the our nation's Independence Day. Very patriotic. How, uh, come we're not celebrating it?"

"Independence Day?" Aunt Portia questioned. "Well from my understanding, your parents are hosting a barbecue later tod—."

"I mean Liberty Belle's birthday."

Victoria rose her eyebrows at this. He was asking a pretty good question, and from the looks of it caught her aunt off guard.

"I—well, Victoria does not like celebrating her birthday. You know with it being on a major holiday and such," Aunt Portia lied. Victoria wondered how someone could lie so much, and not be affected by it.

"Well, we, Kennedys, always celebrate a birthday," John stated. "Even if it is on a holiday. Come on, Liberty Belle, we'll have a sailing competition in your honor."

Both Aunt Portia's and Victoria's eyes widen at such a statement — surprised by the declaration. Rose — who was used to her children doing as they pleased — merely sipped her tea. "That sounds lovely, Jack. Let's get the boats out."

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

The sea breeze felt different on a boat, but in a good way. Victoria liked it — she had never been on a boat before, so the experience would definitely stay with her as a core memory. Feeling the sun on her skin with splashes of water raining on it was a new type of thrill for her — especially with the wind tossing her hair as it pleased. It was amplified by the Kennedys' need for fast sailing, racing their boats against each other for the never ending thirst to always win. It was insanity in a sense, because they all had nearly crashed into each other a couple of times, but they brushed off every near collision like it was nothing.

Victoria had somehow ended up on John's boat with his two friends, Lem Billings and Red Fay, and Amelia. Cora rode with Eunice and Patricia, and Daisy was with Jean and Ethel. William got saddled with Robert and Edward and was constantly fussing with them on what direction to take. Victoria was tickled by the sight, taking a picture of the trio as they were at each other's necks.

"Who do think is winning so far, Liberty Belle?"

For some odd reason, John had gotten in the habit of only referring to her by her middle name — completely disregarding her first name. When his siblings got word of it, they also started to exclusively refer to her by it. The sisters gushing in envy for having such a cute patriotic name.

"I wish my name was Liberty Belle," Jean pouted, making Victoria laugh.

The Kennedys were funny — and a little crazy.

"I think we're in the lead, Jack," Amelia said, answering for Victoria.

"Your cousin doesn't talk much, does she?" John asked. "Is there something wrong with her?"

"Yes and no," Amelia answered with a shrug. "She's a complicated little thing...but I'm not."

Hearing the smile in Amelia's voice, Victoria focused on the movement of the water, and tried her best to ignore how they were freely talking about her as if she was not there. People seemed to think just because she did not talk that her hearing was nonexistent. One of these days, someone was going to say something around her that was going to make her a very wealthy woman. She was waiting patiently for that day.

"That's a shame, Amelia," John responded. "The most interesting of people are complicated."

Hearing this made Victoria smile to herself, imagining the frown on her cousin's face from such a response.

John had ended up winning the sailing competition, cheering and gloating with a bright smile as his siblings sailed by shooting him the finger. Robert then suggested a competition back to the shore, maneuvering his boat to have a head start before everyone.

"That bastard!" John barked, leaping to direct his sails again.

Victoria held on tight to the boat as it sped up again, grabbing a hold of Lem Billings to ensure she did not fall off. It was a rougher ride back, but John ended up winning with an upset Robert screaming profanities at him. Seeing him in such a way was very different from the self conscious man that sat next to her on the piano yesterday. He calmed down though with a butt pat from Ethel.

With the evening rolling in and barbecue being prepared, Victoria thought the rest of the day would be more relaxed — but the Kennedys did not know the meaning of such a word. Tennis followed after sailing with Victoria dodging for her life against Ethel. For someone who was just a friend of the family, she certainly had the same drive of a Kennedy to win at any means. If Rose had not intervene by informing the group that the food was ready, Victoria was sure she was going end up with a ball in her face.

"We'll finish our game tomorrow, kid!"

Victoria shook her head.

"Absolutely not."

After dinner, Joe Sr. had arranged for an orchestra to come on-site to perform during the fireworks show, setting them up as the family had American trivia in the living room. This was the only thing Victoria saw their family actually winning because of their heritage. It was in their blood to know American history and politics. The Kennedys did put up a good fight though — until Edward was asked who was the 4th President of the United States. She felt so bad for him when he answered James Monroe and made his mother turn red. She was sure he would get an earful later.

When the sky was completely dark with nothing but stars, everyone was moved outside with towels and blankets in hand for them to sit on the lawn. Victoria found herself a nice isolated spot, but was soon joined by the oldest Kennedy, who instead of bringing his own blanket took up space on hers.

"You don't mind sharing, do you?" John asked with a playful smile. Victoria only stared at him.

"Is there a reason you don't talk?"

Victoria pressed a finger to her lips to shush him, and pointed towards the sky.

John opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when the first firework fired into the sky, exploding in color. All conversation among the group stopped when the show started, and everyone's attention was on the colorful show above them. Victoria adored fireworks, loving that her birthday was a day that she could always watch them. It brought a little bit of her childhood back with her parents.

"Happy Birthday, Liberty Belle," John said, eyes still fixated on the sky.

Hearing that tugged the corner of her lips.

"...T-t-hank...you..."

She was expecting him to turn to her in disgust, but he did not. He looked at her and smiled.

"You're welcome."

Chapter Text

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

"Gonna take a sentimental journey,
Gonna set my heart at ease,
Gonna make a sentimental journey,
To renew old memories,"

Sentimental Journey -
Les Brown ft. Doris Day (1944)

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

July 1948

The Madisons' last day at the Kennedy Compound felt like the end of a movie for Victoria. The four day holiday vacation that had initially started with just the two families was now a full cast of family, friends, and colleagues who all in one shape or form was associated with a Kennedy. It seemed as though as each day came more people arrived at the oceanfront manor, filling every inch of the property with either people on the lawn, at the tennis courts, in the pool, or in the ocean. It was a time to be had by all who was present, and Victoria was receiving an unknown amusement from it all.

Walking the property, she held William's camera close, taking snapshots of every lively moment that caught her attention — keeping record of this rare adventure outside of New York City. In every shot, she was able to catch a Kennedy in some form or fashion entertaining guests by either dominating them in some sport or captivating them in conversation. There was always a crowd forming around them — people eager for a moment with a Kennedy. Even with the historical Madison family present, all attention was on the Kennedys, and they made sure to take full advantage of it.

However, at the center of all it was not the controlling, copper haired patriarch, Joe Sr., but his charming, brown haired second oldest, John.

John had the most people surrounding him, following him from football to the sailing boats with the women being the closest and the men not being too far behind.  With a wet, white tee on and some wrinkly beige shorts, he held his sunglasses in his mouth as he directed his sails, smiling carefree at the rush of the wind catching his sail and moving them smoothly across the water. Taking a picture of it from the grassy lawn, Victoria could understand the gravitational pull the congressman had on people. There was a likability to him — something that made you want to sit down and have a Coca Cola with him. He reminded her more of a movie star than a politician.

She was still trying to decide if that was a good or bad thing.

"Liberty Belle, I got you a Cola," Robert announced, running up to the silent girl with two Coca Colas in hand. "You looked like you needed a drink. It's pretty hot out today — can't have you passing out."

Victoria smiled, nodding at the third son as she was handed the beverage and took a drink. He took up the space next to her, following her eyes to the sail boats in the water and drinking his own Cola. They did this in complete silence, which Victoria was thankful for. She noticed that the Kennedys liked to talk a lot, and she did not. She preferred to watch, listen, and observe — studying people and the way they behaved for her own entertainment. She used to people watch with her father all the time, parked on their porch steps and their pale green eyes following every person that went by. He taught her that was the best way to figure out a person.

Like how Joe Sr. always kept someone young and pretty next to him, and his wife sipping on tea, looking far off in disgust. She wondered if their children ever noticed the coldness between them.

She pondered this, taking another drink of her Cola, and catching the anxious glances of the Kennedy next to her. Turning to him with a questionable look, Robert looked as though he was about to say something.

"Hey—?"

"Bobby! We're going to go play tennis!" Ethel called, running with Jean and another young man. "Come on, you dreamboat! You're going to be my partner!"

"Coming, Ethel!" Robert answered with a nod. He turned back to Victoria with an apologetic smile. "Sorry to leave you. Uh, you're more than welcome to come and watch."

Victoria politely shook her head "no", tipping her head in the direction in which Ethel and the others went, urging him to go.

"Alright...let me at least dispose of this for you," He said, taking her empty glass bottle. "I'll see you later."

Victoria nodded, watching Robert run off before returning her eyes to the ocean, smiling at the waves crashing to shore. Slipping off her sandals, she walked out of the grass lawn into the white sands of the beach, enjoying the soft texture against her skin and burying her toes in it. She inched closer to the water, jumping and squealing in delight when a rush of water pulled up to shore and tickled her feet. The feel of the water against her skin was far more refreshing than the drink she had, and she walked deeper in to enjoy the coolness. She stood like this for a while, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath as a breeze went by and another wave of water came in. She envied the Kennedys for having this type of joy to come to on the ready.

Leaving imprints of her feet along the shore, Victoria walked further down the beach, putting distance between her and the compound. She found herself a quiet place to sit close to the water, but not too far in which she could get completely wet, and be swept away. It was the perfect spot for her to be alone and just watch the water, allowing the peace and serene to transport away. She was not quite ready to leave Hyannis Port — knowing what life she would be returning to in New York — so she just wanted to soak everything in, remembering every sound, smell, taste, and touch. Pictures could only do so much, but a memory of how everything was could be cemented into your heart. CV

Closing her eyes, Victoria pulled her knees to her chest and listened closely to the sound of the ocean, smiling at the powerful movement of the water.

"Far away places with strange-soundin' names, far away over the sea..,"  She sung to the ocean, opening her eyes and looking far off. Her voice partnered well with loud crashes of the waves. "Those far away places with the strange-soundin' names, are callin', callin' me..."

"Goin' to China or maybe Siam, I want to see for myself...Those far away places I've been readin' about...in a book that I took from the shelf..."

"I start gettin' restless whenever I hear...the whistle of a train...I pray for the day I can get underway...and look for those castles in Spain..."

"They call me a dreamer, well maybe I am...but I know that I'm burnin' to see...those far away places with the strange-soundin' names...callin', callin' me..."

"I pray for the day when I'll find a way...those far away places to see...," She finished.

Victoria sat in that one spot for what seemed like hours, but she had no desire to move. She wanted to watch the water just a little longer, feeling it caress her toes as it pulled in. She was still smiling, but it was sadder now, slipping slowly into a frown. She did not want to leave this place — it made her happy to be there, and the last time she was happy was in 1940.

When her parents were still alive.

Crying in silence was a skill Victoria had mastered upon moving to New York. It did no good for her to cry aloud, so letting tears flow freely with a closed mouth was her outlet. It was like that for her for eight years, and if things went as planned, for two more years. In her father's will, upon her 20th birthday, Victoria could receive her inheritance and live on her own, and far, far away from her family. She was counting the days, and was working hard she ensure she was a college graduate by then. She wanted to be as independent as possible, so she never had to ask them for another thing again.

"There you are."

Victoria blinked, moving her eyes from the ocean to the approaching figure of John along the beach. His hands were stuffed in his shorts, and he looked a little drier — his tee not sticking to his body, but blowing with the wind. He was wearing his sunglasses with an amused smile tugging at his lips when stopped in front of her and sat down.

"I thought we were missing a Madison. What are you do all the way down here?" John asked.

Victoria did not answer him, but merely shrugged, smiling and hoping she had no lingering tears on her face.

"Hm," Was all John said before looking out at sea. "You know this is my spot."

Frowning, Victoria glanced over at the older party, watching his cool expression carefully. If he was telling her to leave, then she was not going anywhere. She was there first.

"I like to come here to think," John said — eyes still on the water. "It's peaceful out here. No one to bother you — just you and the ocean. I've made a lot of important decisions by these shores. The water helps give me a clear mind — so the only voice I hear is my own. It's easier...to talk the ocean than it is with people, ya know. It listens to you, doesn't judge you, gives you a safe place you can't find in people. I think that's why I love it so much...there's so much freedom here."

John was now looking at Victoria — an easy smile on his face, but his eyes completely concealed from her by his sunglasses. The eyes were the window to the soul, and you could read someone's intentions through them. Without them, she could not read John accurately. All she saw was a carefree bachelor, who — to her surprise — said something very insightful. Maybe he was a congressman after all.

"Everyone's about to head inside soon for a movie in the theater," John added, lifting himself up off the ground. "I'll try to save you a seat if your cousin doesn't snatch it up first."

John walked off without another word, leaving Victoria with only herself, her thoughts, and the ocean. She molded over his words, training her pale green eyes to the pull and push of the tides.

"...H-he's fucking-g weird," She told the ocean. It pushed to her feet as if agreeing with her. This oddly enough made her smile. "...I g-guess...he's r-r-right."

Victoria stayed by the ocean until late afternoon, picking herself up and enjoying her radiant tan. When she returned to the compound nearly everyone was inside — no longer in the theater downstairs but in the sun room and living room, enjoying lemonade and tea. Outside, a large white tent was being set up with tables, chairs, a dance floor, and an orchestra. It had slipped her mind that for their final night there that Joe Sr. had planned a party — a parting gift for their families' new budding friendship. It was all very nice — but very suspicious as well.

This was the Madisons first interaction with the Kennedys, so to not only host them in their home for four days, but to also throw a grand party for them seemed a little odd to Victoria. They were in all sense and purposes strangers to each other. To go to such extremes for strangers was very generous — but Joe Sr. did not seem like the generous type. In fact, from what she had observed, he seemed more like a taker — an opportunist, looking for the next thing to raise his status. A connection to the Madison family would do that, but her uncle always prided himself on their family name, and turned away anyone who wanted to use and abuse it.

So why were they here when that was obviously the goal of Joe Sr.?

"It's not that hard, Jack."

Victoria did not support eavesdropping — her parents taught her better. But if someone was speaking freely for all to hear, then she felt she had the right to listen — and she had excellent hearing.

Standing several feet in front of Victoria with their backs facing her was Joe Sr. and John, watching the crew assemble everything for the party. Neither had noticed her presence, so she stood still in her spot, quieting her breathing to hear their every word.

"There's three of them! You just pick one, woo her, and propose — it's not that hard to get yourself a wife," He huffed in irritation. "Especially with all I'm doing! Do you know how hard it was to get that bastard up here with his family. If he wasn't going broke, he would have never came! Now pick one already."

Victoria's eyes widen at this information — a puzzling look forming on her as she continued to listen.

"It's not that easy, dad," John argued frustrated. "I just can't pick a broad after three days, and decide I'm going to marry her."

"You will if you want to be President, Jack! You have female descendants of one of this country's Founding Fathers — who was not only a President, but drafted the very government we live by — under our roof for your pickings. People won't even care that you're Catholic with that type of legacy! You just got to choose one."

"Will they even agree to this?"

"They have no choice with how desperate their father is. They are very aware of their family's financial position, and are ready to do what is necessary."

"Thanks to you buying all his stocks and draining them dry," John stated in a cutting tone.

"I did that for you!" Joe Sr. hissed, getting in his son's face. "And I'll do it again. We need that name connected with our family, and the only way to do that is through marriage. Don't ruin this for us, Jack. Now you don't have to marry her now, but you need to pick a Madison girl tonight, and dance with her. I'll have a photographer ready to take the picture — that will be the start of America's greatest 'love' story."

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

The moon's reflection against the ocean was by far one of the most beautiful things Victoria had ever seen, and it irritated her that she could not get a clear picture of it on the camera. After trying three times, she sighed aloud in frustration, throwing her hat to the ground and kicking up sand before falling on her behind. Sighing, she brought her knees to her chest and focused on the water, letting its flow distract her from the thoughts running through her mind.

Her intuition was always right, but for once she wanted to it to be wrong. She knew there was something strange about this trip — something just did not seem right about it, but she would have never guessed it would be something like this.

Their family was going broke — and her uncle was pimping out her cousins to ensure they did not go homeless.

It seemed unreal, but by them being there it was true, and it was all due to Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. After hearing the Kennedy's conversation, Victoria ran as fast as she could to her room, not caring if they heard and locking her door. She had spent the rest of the day in there, and would have spent all night if her aunt had not threatened to kick the door down if she did not get dressed for the party. Her cousins might not have been her favorite people, but they were still family, and she hated that they had to give up their freedom of choice in a husband to ensure they still had a home. She refused to witness it, and when she saw a chance, slipped out the party to come back to the ocean.

This whole trip was a reminder to her just how evil people could be. She wanted to tell her uncle that Joe Sr. was the reason why they were having money trouble, but the possibility of him believing in her was slim to none — there was also the fact that she should not have known about the whole situation in the first place. He clearly did not tell her for a reason, so if she had told him, he would have questioned her on how she found out. Besides, it would not have fixed their situation. The money was gone, and there was no getting it back.

Victoria blinked.

"The money was gone," She thought, furrowing her brows. "My inheritance..."

"FUCK!" She yelled, jumping to her feet. "Shit! Son of a bitch! You bastard!"

The only time Victoria did not stutter was when she was singing or using profanity. She could let out a stream of it without stumbling on a word — especially when she was upset, and she had every right to be now. Her inheritance — the very money that was to give her independence and free her from the horrid facade of being a white woman was gone before she could even touch it. All of her father's money — his hard earned money gone. She wanted to do more than cuss, she wanted to scream. She was going to build a life with that money, and now it was gone.

She was having such a good time on this trip, and now — she wanted nothing more than to be back in New York.

Running her hand through her hair, Victoria took a deep breath, letting tears fall as she looked back at the sea.

"I-I hate this!" She exclaimed out loud. "W-why is life s-so cruel?...Why do I e-even care!? I don't e-even like them...but...th-they shouldn't have to marry s-s-someone they don't l-love. It's wrong!"

It was ridiculous to be talking to the ocean, but it did make her feel a little better — just a little. Walking into the pulling tide, Victoria wondered which of her cousins were picked tonight. The obvious pick was Amelia. Despite being cruel and cold, she was the ideal candidate for a politician's wife. She was beautiful, well educated, poised, and well mannered. She was the most sought out debutante of her year. She was practically glued to John's side the entire time they were there. He seemed to have liked her as well. The second best choice was Daisy. She might not had the witt and intelligence like Amelia, but she had the confidence and vibrance to be a shiny First Lady one day.

Victoria felt horrible for thinking about it, but there was no escaping it now. The Kennedys were now about to be her In-Laws.

"You wonder off a lot."

John Kennedy was the last person Victoria expected to see that night, but then she remembered this was his spot. Just like her, he was barefoot — his freshly ironed khaki pants touching the sand with his navy blue blazer wide open, showing his white button down and dark tie. He was smoking on a cigar, breathing out the smoke like it was the most natural thing to do. For the first time since meeting him, he held no carefree smile. His lips were in a hard line with his sea green eyes off in the distance, deep in the ocean. He stood right next to her, making her short stature obvious compared to his tall height.

A part of her wanted to hate him, but from the conversation earlier, she knew he really did not want to do it either. She did not understand why he did not outright refuse his father. He was a grown man after all — he could do whatever he wanted. Though looking at him now, it seemed he had no choice either. She almost felt bad for him.

Almost.

Neither spoke a word to each other as they watched the water, the moon providing excellent lighting to see every motion of the tide. Victoria wanted to exclusively keep her eyes at sea, but at some point she did take a glance at John. He was as still as a statue — his face cemented in a pensive state, and his eyes almost somewhere else entirely. She stared at him much longer than she had intended, and was caught when his face finally turned to her. He looked at her in the same manner, slowly turning his body to completely face her and relaxing his face. He did not look as tensed now, lowering his guard and focusing entirely on her — his eyes in clear view of the moonlight. Their focus on her held some curiosity and wonder — there was a thought forming behind them. Victoria did not turn away from the examination, staring at him with her own curiosity. They were both very alien to each other.

"May I have a dance with you, Miss Madison?" John asked, holding her gaze.

Victoria tilted her head at the question, furrowing her eyebrows. She had not been expecting that. John waited patiently for her to answer, tossing the small remains of his cigar to the side and stuffing his hands in his pockets. A rush of wind went by them, tossing his tie and her dress as it pleased.

Making a face, she looked around with questionable eyes, indicating the lack of music to dance to.

As if understanding her unspoken question, John cracked a small smile, and offered his hand.

"The ocean will be our music."

She hesitated, remembering he was the enemy, but also knowing he was going to be her cousin-in-law either way. It was best to make nice now. Taking a breath, Victoria slowly placed her hand in his, noting the rough texture of them, and brought her other hand to his shoulder. John held her hand in a relaxed grip and brought his other hand to rest at her waist. With no music, they began to dance by the ocean — the rush of the water being the only sound. It was awkward, and not helped at all by John's clunky dancing. Sighing, she decided to take things into her own hand.

"Gonna take a sentimental journey...gonna set my heart as ease...," She sung aloud, giving them a tune to sway their bodies to. "Gonna take a sentimental journey...to renew old memories..."

John, who was not there the first day to hear her sing, was caught off guard, looking down at her with a raised brow and an amused grin.

"You can sing?"

Victoria did not answer, but continued the song by humming it. Their dancing led them to the ocean — their feet wondering into the water as they made their own little world by the shore. She had better dances, but this was nice — even romantic if she was dancing with someone else. John unexpectedly picked her up and twirled her around, making them both laugh aloud before he unceremoniously brought her back down — still holding her but growing stiff and clenching his teeth. He gave her his usual carefree smile, but it was strained as if trying to hide something. He twirled her around again — this time on the ground — and the same lightheartedness that was previously there returned.

It surprised Victoria how she was actually enjoying the impromptu dance, but it could have just been her partner. His likability was hard to resist — almost dangerous. She felt bad for whichever cousin had to learn to adjust to it. He seemed like the type to charm his way out of trouble.

Pulling away from her, John dipped down into the water and stunned Victoria by splashing it in her direction — getting her dress wet and laughing at her expression. Shaking herself out of her shock, she flung some water at him, toppling him over into the sand, and her laughter filling the air. However, John did not stay down for long. He was a Kennedy after all, and Kennedy's always win. He was back on his feet in no time, tossing off his blazer and undoing his tie, and staring down Victoria with a determined look. She needed no further explanation of the trouble she was in, and took off down the shore with a playful shriek. John ran after her, easily catching up and making her fling more water at him. At this point he was soaked, but that did not stop his pursuit of her, or the large wave of water he splashed at her. Their playful back and forth went on for quite awhile — the party long forgotten in their game with each other.

The winner had ended up being John, who knocked Victoria to her bottom with a large amount of water, drenching her dress and herself. She was laughing so hard that she did not even care that her dressed was ruined. John soon joined her, falling close to her on his knees, and laughing just as much as she was. He was just as wet with his clothes clinging to his skinny body. They stayed like this for what seemed like forever, smiling and laughing at each other with the ocean close beside them. Victoria had not had this much fun in ages.

As their laughter died down, their smiles remained with their heaving breathing echoing into the night. For a time, neither could stop looking at each other — their eyes trained on each other with a common twinkle. Something was calming about the exchange. It was obvious neither wanted to leave, but Victoria knew after a while people would be looking for them.

Getting up to her feet, she held a hand out to John who reluctantly took it to rise up. Finding their discarded items, they made their way up the shore, allowing the wind to dry off their clothing. By the time they made it back to the compound, everyone was still partying under the big tent, but Victoria had no desire to go back under. Turning to John, she bid her farewell with a simple smile and wave, directing her course to the house instead of the tent. When she made it up the porch, she did not look back at him, focused only on getting inside, taking a bath, and going to sleep. However, if she had looked back, she would have found John's eyes still on her.

What was a moment of last minute fun for her was a deciding factor for him. He was tasked with choosing a Madison girl tonight, and he did.

He always made important decisions by the ocean.

Chapter Text

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

"For every man there's a woman,
For every life there's a plan,
And wise men know it was ever so,
Since the world began,
Woman was made for man,"

For Every Man There's a Woman - Frank Sinatra (1947)

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

July 1948

"You've done it now, Vicki."

Daisy's giggle and smile brought an unsettling feeling to Victoria as she opened her eyes to find the blonde lying next to her. Furrowing her brows, the brunette stared at her cousin in confusion — not sure as to what the girl was talking about, and not appreciating her taking it upon herself to enter her room and climb into her bed. Daisy knew nothing of personal space, invading any and everyone's whenever she got a chance. If they were back in New York, then Victoria would have just pushed her off, but since they were in someone else's home, she had to behave.

"Daddy and mama were arguing all last night because of you," Daisy continued happily, lifting an arm up to rest her head on. "And Mia — snapped her cap. I've never seen her so red before. You're in serious trouble, cookie."

Blinking furiously, Victoria quickly lifted herself up from the bed, and looked at Daisy with wide, frantic eyes. To her knowledge, she had done nothing to get herself in trouble since their arrival to Hyannis Port, and yet, somehow everyone was upset with her before she could fully wake up and get dress. Unless she had somehow went sleepwalking through the Kennedy's home and destroyed a family heirloom or antique, she was lost as to what she could have down from last night to this morning.

"W-what are you t-talking about, Dai—?"

"Where is she!?" Victoria heard her Uncle George call from outside her room door. "Where is she, Portia!!?"

"He's about to bust your chops!" Daisy whispered lowly with a giggle, bouncing off the bed as Uncle George barged into the room.

Before Victoria could even get herself out of bed, he struck her hard across the face, causing a harsh echo to broadcast in the room. She was used to her Aunt Portia's slaps, which were quick and stingy, but this slap was unfamiliar and painful, producing a throbbing ache on her cheek. She quickly grasped it, tearing up at the raw, swelling flesh and biting her lip. It hurt — a lot, but she was unsure if it was more from the slap, or the fact that her uncle hit her. Uncle George had never hit her before. He was always very indifferent and cordial with her — never outright being mean, but also not caring to stop his wife and children from being mean to her. If anything, she had thought he was the only one in the world that had some type of love for her.

But you do not hit the people you love.

Her father never even raised his voice at her.

"What have you done?" He hissed at her. "What have you done, Victoria!?"

Victoria did not answer, still holding her cheek as Aunt Portia, Amelia, and Cora walked in — all three equally shocked and surprised by her uncle's actions.

"Do you have any idea what damaged you've caused!?" He exclaimed, raising his hand to strike her again, but before he could Aunt Portia stopped him.

"George, enough!" She commanded, stepping in between them. "If you hit her again, you'll leave a bruise. There's no changing anything now, dearest. We got to move forward with what he decided, and we can't do that with her bruised up. We need her to be perfect."

"...Portia, if they find out...if HE finds out," Uncle George emphasized with fear, running his hand down his face. He looked fearful and crazed. "Joe is the type of man to ruin lives. He could take everything from us."

"He won't find out!" She declared, taking a hold of her husband's face. "And even if he does, their marriage will be so broadcasted across the country, divorcing her will only cause them scandal. He won't let that happen, or have word get out as to why it would. Besides..."

Pulling away from him, Aunt Portia turned to Victoria on the bed, who was looking at them with frightened, confused eyes. She tensed up when Aunt Portia sat down next to her, flinching when the matriarch brought a hand carefully up to caress her swollen cheek.

"He'll protect her secret far greater than we ever could — the last thing the Ambassador would want is for people to find out his son married a negro," She remarked with a false gentleness. Victoria's heart nearly stopped at her words, deepening her confusion. Her eyes jumped to everyone in the room, but no one offered her an answer. "Mia, bring me some ice for Victoria's cheek."

"Why me!?" Amelia exclaimed with a frown.

"Do as you're told, Amelia," Aunt Portia ordered with a stern voice. Amelia huffed, leaving the room to travel downstairs to the kitchen. "Cora, Daisy — go get dress for breakfast. The Kennedys will be expecting us soon."

"Yes ma'am." They answered, rushing out the room together.

"George, let me talk to Victoria alone," She said, turning to her husband. "I'll have her ready for breakfast."

George sighed. "Alright, dearest."

Uncle George left the room, leaving only Victoria alone with her aunt. Amelia had returned with the ice, and Aunt Portia placed it on her cheek while dismissing Amelia to also get ready for breakfast. They were truly alone now, which did not sit well with Victoria.

"Victoria," She began, pressing the clothed ice carefully to her cheek. "Listen very carefully now, Congressman John Kennedy is going to court you for the next year and a half until your graduation — and on your graduation night, he will propose and you will say 'yes', and you will marry him in the fall."

"W-w-what?" Victoria gasped, shaking her head and pulling away — utterly horrified and bewildered. "No...no...no."

"Yes, you will," Aunt Portia ordered firmly, grasping her face and holding it tightly. "And you will be happy about it. You will receive his flowers, take his calls, promenade with him, and go on chaperoned dates. You will be a good girl. We need you to be a good girl, Victoria. The Ambassador is offering...a great deal of money for his son to marry a Madison. Money that we need right now. We are nearly broke, Victoria...we need you to do this for our family."

"No," Victoria proclaimed sternly. "I-I-I...it's not s-supposed to be m-m-me. I...c-can't. I won't! You c-can't make me!"

Victoria was not sure what all had happened at the party last night, but there was no way she was going to allow them to put her up as an option for their little agreement with the Kennedys. Victoria was the niece of George Madison — not his daughter, and had no desire to marry anyone unless she loved them. This was not her burden or debt to bear, so she was not obligated to go along with this arrangement. It was upsetting that they were even considering it in the first place when they knew she was black. Interracial marriage was illegal in almost half of the United States, and was socially unacceptable in all of them.

It could possibly get her killed if the public found out.

It would make no sense for her to marry John.

"We can and we will, you ungrateful brat," Aunt Portia said through gritted teeth. This was the Aunt Portia Victoria was used to, who was vicious, cruel, and controlling. "After all that we have done for you — this is how you show your gratitude. We could have left you orphaned in Georgia, Victoria — and in hindsight we should have. If we did, this would have never happened. He was supposed to pick Amelia, or at least Daisy, but, no — he chose you...and he shall have you. Despite what your mother and grandmother was, you are still a Madison — a well-bred and educated American heiress. Girls like you are meant to marry powerful and wealthy men — whether it be willing or by force. It is your place in the world, and it's time that you learn that. You will marry John Kennedy, Victoria. There are far more worse fates than becoming the wife of a politician, so be grateful that you were even chosen at all...Now get dress and come down to breakfast."

Aunt Portia rose from the bed and turned to the door, leaving Victoria with furious, watery eyes aimed directly at her.

"And w-w-what if I tell h-him what I-I am?" She threatened. "I...can end all of t-this."

Aunt Portia stopped at the door, turning her head back to Victoria. "Victoria...you need that money just as much as we do. There is no money for you to continue at Barnard, or any for your inheritance. You have nothing, so I advise you to take that into consideration before you do something you'll regret."

Grabbing the nearest pillow, Victoria slammed her face into it and screamed as her aunt left the room. Being angry and helpless was nothing new to her, but for once, her body could not contain the despair that was bubbling up inside of her. The screaming gradually turned into crying and then sobbing, and soon Victoria found herself buried under the covers, wishing for everything to be a dream. She wanted to stay under there, and had every intention to, but she knew could not.

Aunt Portia was right.

She had nothing: no parents, no money, no property and, quite possibility, no college education if she did not go along with this arrangement. She had no other choice but to agree to the marriage. It was a hard truth to swallow, but she had to accept it. She was a woman after all, and women in her situation married to resolve their problems. It was ridiculous, but it was a fact of life. She just always thought she would never have to. Victoria did want to get married one day, but out of love, not necessity. She also wanted to marry someone she could relate to — a black man, and build a family and legacy with him. This entire situation was the opposite of what type of life she had planned for herself, and it hurt beyond comprehension. Her life was changing, and she had not the power to stop it. Pushing the covers aside, she rose from the bed with an emptiness, getting dress and making herself presentable for her intended.

The yellow dress that Victoria had planned to wear that day was supposed to be a cheery farewell outfit for their final day at Hyannis Port. However, with how everything had turned out, the sun dress was unintentionally giving off the wrong impression of joy and excitement for her current situation. Two things she was not feeling when she entered the dining room, but no one seemed to notice, accepting her warmly as she took a seat at the only available spot next to John.

"How wonderful for you to finally join us, Liberty Belle," Joe Sr. quipped from the head of the table. He looked at her expectingly, but she merely forced a smile and nodded — trying her best to not think about the double meaning in his words. She knew he purposely meant to use them.

"Good morning," John greeted, but she ignored him.
She did not even look at him, forcing her eyes directly on her plate before closing them for prayer over the food.

Victoria was cold and distant throughout breakfast. She held a very small smile on her lips, but her eyes were angry and bitter — lowered to the table so no one could see them. John attempted conversation with her, but she just shut him out. She actively avoided any interaction with him, making herself believe he was not there. It was childish, but she did not care. This was his fault — her future was gone because of him, and because of that she would be as difficult as possible to him. She would make him regret ever choosing her.

Maybe even change his mind all together — it was not too late. He could still choose Amelia, and leave her be.

It bothered her though how everyone did not notice how uncomfortable she was about everything. They went about breakfast as it was just another day, chatting and sharing food as if they all were not there for business instead of pleasure. She wondered if the whole entire family knew, and were instructed to make sure they were so appealing that no Madison girl could ever say "no" to joining their family. It was cynical to think that way, but Victoria could not help it at this point. At the start of the trip, the Kennedy sisters were strictly focused on getting to know her cousins — especially Amelia, but it seemed now their focus was directly on her — like it was communicated she was the destined future "sister-in-law".

"Liberty Belle, I don't think Manhattanville is that far from Barnard," Jean said, passing a bowl of eggs to Edward. "Maybe you can come out with Ethel and me sometimes."

"Yeah, kid!" Ethel agreed enthusiastically. "We can show you our hot spots on Fifth Avenue!"

"Patricia and I visit Jeanie a lot in New York, so we can tag along as well," Eunice added next to Victoria. "It'll be something fun for all of us to do."

"We can also have brunch in my apartment there," Patricia stated with a wink. "I love having guests over. You can come over anytime."

They all had forgotten about Amelia, who sat next to Aunt Portia with clenched fists and furious eyes. Her glare was aimed at Victoria — even though it was the Kennedys that had abandoned her. Their interest and curiosity in Amelia was so genuine as of yesterday that the switch up was jarring. Victoria had never seen anything like it before, and was overwhelmed by it all — the arrangement, the attention, her helplessness to it all. She just wanted to go home.

She needed distance — space. Her desire to stay there now long gone. She was waiting patiently for breakfast to end.

"Georgie, why don't you and your family stay another day?" Joe Sr. suggested, but it sounded more like an order.

Victoria froze up at the question.

"Please say 'no'. Please say 'no'."

"We would love that, Ambassador. Thank you."

Victoria clenched her dressed, and pushed back a scream, inhaling and exhaling a deep breath.

"Of course he would say yes," She thought bitterly, biting her lip. The last thing they needed was another day with the Kennedys, but her uncle had handed all power over to Joe Sr.

He did not even put up a fight for it — for her.

It made her mad.

Furious.

Pissed the fuck off.

Standing abruptly from the table, Victoria stormed out the room. She could feel everyone's eyes on her — and hear her aunt demand she sit back down — but she paid them no mind, walking out of the house and onto the lawn. When she saw the beach, she sprinted towards it, going into a full run once her feet hit the sand. She ran down the shoreline for as long as she could, pushing herself when she felt her lungs would explode. She refused to stop — she was not far enough. From the Kennedys, her family, her life, she just wanted to get as far away from them as possible.

When her feet could go no longer, she fell to her knees and wailed in her hands. Even if she could run completely away, she had no money or a place to go. It was just as Aunt Portia told her — she had nothing, and needed this more than them, which made it hurt even more.

The waves drowned out Victoria's crying, eventually soothing her to stop and just watch the ocean. Pulling her knees to her chest, she found herself envying the ocean's freedom, thinking briefly of taking one of the Kennedys' boats and making a run from it.

Too bad she had no idea how to sail one.

But if she did, she would definitely take John's just to prove a point.

"I hope...this is not...a precursor to our wedding day."

A breathless John stopped only a few feet away from Victoria, heaving heavily as he caught his breath. He looked as though he was going to throw up, bending over on his knees and holding his head down. It was concerning even though Victoria was trying her best not to care. The run was hard on her as well, but it did not affect her in the same way that it did John. He looked like he was going to pass out — which was interesting since he still took out the time to make light of their situation.

"But it would be quick a sight to see you dash off in a wedding dress."

Violence was never the answer to resolve a situation, but she was very close to choosing it. He might had height over her, but he was skinny, and the run had tired him out. She might had a chance.

"If I sit next to you, will you run off again?" He asked, inching closer. She did not answer him, trying her best to focus on the waves.

John sat right next to her and for a long time said nothing. He watched the water with her, stretching out his legs so his feet could feel the water push in. Victoria glanced down at them briefly, noticing one leg was longer than the other. She had never seen that condition before, and wondered did that cause him any difficulties. She frowned at her worry, but it could not be helped. She was raised by a nurse, so naturally she had the same compassion and concern for people's wellbeing — even if she did not like them.

Even if she wanted to hate them.

"W-w-why me?" She finally asked, looking back at the ocean. She did not like talking freely because of her stutter, but she felt she had the right to know why. "Y-you...had three perfectly s-suitable...options. You..d-d-did not...have to c...choose me."

"Well, aren't you a Madison?" John responded, placing his arms on his knees and looking at her. "I was told to choose a Madison girl. You're a Madison girl, Liberty Belle."

"B-b-but I w-w-wasn't apart of t-t-the arrangement!" She exclaimed, getting frustrated by him and her own stuttering words. He was talking so carelessly about it like it was not her life he was taking away from her. It made her angry. "It...was only Amelia, Cora, and Daisy — n-not me! I-I-I c-can't — I w-w-won't — you need t-to change your mind! I-I don't w-want this!"

John looked at her with focused eyes. He had not grimace at any of her stuttering words, oddly enough looking patient with her. He did not interrupt her or stop her. He was quiet and attentive, waiting for her to finish. Victoria did not know how to feel about that. There was only ever a few people considerate of her stuttering.

"...I don't want this either...I never had plans of marrying anyone. Marriage always seemed...too restricting and complicated to me, so I never wanted it. Men like me don't become husbands," He confessed, looking away and rubbing the back of his neck. He was fidgeting a bit — frowning and becoming awkward. He looked uncomfortable with what he just said.

Victoria raised an eyebrow at the behavior — now confused. "...I-If you don't...want to m-marry, then w-why are you?"

"You don't make it to the White House being a bachelor," John said, almost sounding bitter about the fact. "You need a wife, and at least one kid. People want a family man running the country."

"And...y-you're not a f-family man...?"

"I'm not," John admitted with a shrug. "But I'm going to have to be."

"...So...y-you're going t-to take away...my c-chance of happiness s-so y...you can be President?" Victoria asked. Her tone was calm, but internally she had resolved to truly hate John. He did not even want marriage, but decided to snatch her opportunity of it away. It was selfish, and she did not think she could ever forgive him for that.

He did not immediately answer her question, looking at her with sympathetic eyes, but not showing an ounce of remorse or guilt. He did not even look apologetic. Looking at him just made her even more angry.

"Y-y-you...had t-three other options t-that were w-willing...why me?" She was practically begging for an answer now. She was just trying to understand why he did not choose one of her cousins. They were ready, excited, and willing to be chosen. They wanted this — she did not.

"...You won't bore me," John said without shame.

His answer was simple, straightforward, and honest, but Victoria was unsure how to feel about such honesty. She knew she should have been content with the truth, but she would have rather been told a lie. A lie would have been 10x better than the truth she had received. Blinking, Victoria slowly moved her eyes from John to the ocean, looking far beyond the horizon with a yearning.

"...I...will n-never love you...John Kennedy," She declared softly.

"I'm not asking you to, Liberty Belle."

She started crying. He may not wanted love, but she did, but she would never have it because of him.

"Y-you're only m...marrying m-me to become...P-p-president."

"...I plan to be a good one. I don't take governing lightly, Liberty Belle. This country is important to me, and I want to do right by it — but I can't do that without a wife," John explained. He was sincere in his words. The most sincere she had seen out of him during the entire trip. There was a passion behind his desire for political office — one a lot of politicians did not have.

"You're...very h-honest," Victoria said. "I-I'll give you that."

"You are as well," John smiled. "Liberty Belle...we might not have a marriage built on love, but we can have one built on honesty. For the next year and a half, let's use that to at least be friends...and find some happiness in this."

John was offering an olive branch — a truce.

Apart of her wanted to decline it — set on hating him and making this entire situation horrible. But the other side — the rational side — knew that it would do no good. He needed her legacy, and she needed his money. It was better to accept it and make peace now, than be miserable about it forever. She would never forgive him though. He had stolen her life after all, giving her one she never asked for.

"...Al...alright."

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

The bright bulb flash of Joe Sr.'s photographer consumed Victoria's vision, causing her to make a face that elicited a chuckle from John and a reprimand from the Kennedy patriarch. Sitting on the porch in a rocking chair next to John, she was told for the hundredth time that day to control her face — to smile "big and pretty" and look like she was "hanging on to every word" that John was saying. It was exhausting, but she did as she was told, remembering the very large check that her uncle had received not so long ago. Joe Sr. had bought his "American Heiress", and now she had to perform for his "America's Greatest Love Story" tale.

They would be the "American Dream" couple. John was the American Patriot — a handsome and charismatic WWII veteran, who descended from humble immigrants and exemplified their rise to wealth, influence, and power. Victoria was the American Heiress — a beautiful and well-bred socialite, who descended from the Father of the Constitution and lived out his legacy of intelligence, patriotism, and valor. They would represent what America was — the couple that every man and woman would strive to be like.

A product.

A brand.

A well fabricated lie.

They were going to be the most well known couple of the century if it was the last thing that Joe Sr. did.

Their "candid" photoshoot lasted for an hour and a half with Joe Sr. refusing to stop until he got the right shots. Victoria was on her last nerve of being photographed, but John was unbothered by it all — used to having a camera shoved in his face since birth. Joe Sr. was a strong believer in presenting a certain image to people, which is why he always had his family  filmed and photographed. He knew the power and influence it could bring, and for years used it to his benefit of showing just how "wonderful" being a Kennedy could be. He wanted the world to know just how large, close, happy, and wealthy their family was, presenting an image of an all American family people wanted to know, be like, and trust.

It was a manipulation tactic, so when the time came for a Kennedy to throw their hat into politics, there would already be an established relationship between them and the nation. In the Kennedy household, the media and the press were your friend — and your way to political influence and power. It was starting to make sense to Victoria why they kept so many cameras around them.

"I think these will be enough, Ambassador."

"Are you sure? I want these pictures to be perfect now," Joe Sr. explained to the photographer.

"They will be, sir. They're both a handsome pair that the media will just eat up."

Victoria grimaced at this, sighing before directing her gaze to the football game on the lawn. William had been tackled again — this time being taken down by Robert, Edward, and Ethel. At this point, they were just being cruel to him.

"I'm in the next game," John called out from the porch railing. He then turned to Victoria. "You in, Liberty Belle?"

Victoria did not answer him, standing up from the rocking chair and walking inside. She still held animosity towards him despite their truce, and only interacted with him when she was required to. Technically, she would not have spend the rest of her life with him until the fall of 1950, so she was going to get as much time away from him until then. She found that the living room was empty, so she relocated there, taking a seat at the piano and focusing on the keys. She began playing Lionel Hampton's "Hamp's Boogie Woogie", filling the quiet living room with the sound of jazz and swing. She played it so effortlessly you would have thought she composed it herself, moving her head side to side to the music. It was a good escape for her.

If only she could stay in that little world of music forever.

Finishing up "Hamp's Boogie Woogie", Victoria went into the blues of "Blow Top Blues", feeling it appropriate for how she felt.

"I've got bad news baby, and you're the first to know," She began to sing with the same mournful voice as Dinah Washington. "Yes, I've got bad news baby, and you're the first to know...I discovered this mornin' that my top is about to blow..."

"Well I've been rockin' on my feet and talkin' all out of my head...Yes, I've been rockin' on my feet and talkin' all out of my head...and when I get through talkin', I can't remember a thing I said..."

"Used to be a sharpie, always dressed in the latest styles...Now I'm walkin' down Broadway wearin' nothin' but a smile...I see all kinds of little men, although they're never there...I tried to push the "A" train and poured whiskey in my hair...I'm a girl you can't excuse...I've got those blow top blues..."

Victoria started to cry from the lyrics, feeling she had lost her mind like they described. What she was being forced to do was insanity, and she had to accept it. She would rather be crazy than sane at the moment.

"Last night I was five feet tall, today I'm eight feet ten...And every time I fall down stairs I float right up again...When someone turned the lights on me, it like to drove me blind...I woke up in Bellevue, but I left my mind behind...I'm a gal who blew a fuse...I've got those blow top blues...," Victoria finished solemnly.

Continuing the song through the piano, she wiped her face of the tears and started to hum. She played the song for a while longer, stopping when she heard footsteps entering the room. Seeing the tousled Robert Kennedy was the last thing Victoria expected, but she rather it be him than his brother. He looked as though he came from the last football game — his clothes wrinkled and dirty and his face beaten up slightly. Even when it came to their own, the Kennedys did not lighten up when it came to football.

"You always like to be inside?" He asked, approaching her and taking a seat next to her on the bench. "Don't you want to join us out on the lawn?"

"Absolutely not," Victoria thought, shaking her head and focusing her eyes on the keys as she switched to a different song.

"...Well, I guess I'll stay inside with you then," Robert declared. "Don't want to leave you all alone."

"...I...I l-like being alone, Bobby," Victoria said, catching the third son off guard. He was the second Kennedy after John to hear her talk. She knew eventually she would have to start talking around them, so she might as well start now. "Y-you...don't have t-to stay."

"You have a stutter," He blurted out, making her roll her eyes at him. He realized his mistake and quickly apologized. "Sorry...I'm pretty sure you already knew that. Is that why you don't talk?"

Frowning, Victoria ignored Robert's question and continued playing the piano. He got his answer, and sat quietly, listening to her play. Even though he asked stupid questions, he made a good audience and was very attentive to her playing.

"Whenever mother would play, we all would come in here to listen to her," Robert said, looking over at a family portrait with them all standing in a row, locked together by their arms. "The last time all nine of us did that together was back in London. That seemed so long ago...but sometimes I wish I could go back to that moment, and appreciate it more."

Following Robert's gaze, Victoria wondered what happened to the other Kennedys. There were two girls and a boy missing. He noticed her looking, and decided to provide her with the information she was curious about.

Grabbing the portrait, he held it to her as he gestured to the missing family members. "That's Joe Jr. — he was our eldest brother. He died in a plane explosion during the war while on a mission. This is Rosemary, our eldest sister, she, uh, went away."

Victoria found this information odd, raising an eyebrow, but Robert did not offer no further information, looking unsure himself as to where his sister was. He only offered her an apologetic look before moving on to the other missing Kennedy.

"And this is Kick, our second eldest sister. She, um...recently died this past May in a plane crash."

Victoria looked up at Robert with sad, gentle eyes with this information — her eyes growing watery at their recent loss. With how the last couple of days have been, you would have never guessed they had just loss a sister. When Victoria loss her parents, she was a wreck for months, unable to even force herself to eat or sleep. The Kennedys looked as though they did not know the meaning of losing a loved one, and yet three of their siblings were gone.

"It's been hard, but your family being here has helped take it off our minds. I think this is the first we've seen Jack genuinely smile in a while...Kick was the closest to him. He took it harder than all of us," Robert said, setting the picture back down. He then turned around to face her. "We were sure he wasn't going to choose anyone this week because of that, but Dad was pressuring him. He had to choose...I know this is not ideal, but please don't be too hard on him. Just give him a chance to try to make you happy in all of this. He's not a bad guy."

She found that hard to believe, side eyeing the Kennedy before standing up and looking out of the window. "Did h-he send you i-in here?"

"No, he didn't," Robert answered honestly, joining her by the window. "It's not a secret you're not fond of him. I...just think it would be beneficial to both of you to try to make this work. Jack needs someone...and you need a family."

"I alr-r-ready have a family."

"You do...but they don't treat you very nice now, do they?"

Victoria did not respond, keeping her eyes out the window.

"We can be your family, Victoria, and you can build one with Jack," Robert said. Victoria was sure Robert did not mean to make her shiver at the thought of procreating with his brother, but it was expected since she did not want to think about that for a very long time. She also had no desire of finding a new family.

Her family would always be her mother and father — their love for her still deep in her heart. She did not need a new family — whether it be Madison or Kennedy.

Nor a place in their world.