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elrhiarhodanTitle: Two for Clinton Jones – Fallen Warrior and Office Gossip
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
elrhiarhodan
Rating: G
Fandom: White Collar
Spoilers: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Word Count: ~700
Summary: Two ficlets written featuring one of my favorite supporting characters, Special Agent Clinton Jones (and yes, Clinton is officially his first name – the WC writers confirmed that in a recent tweet. The only time his first name was used was during “Free Fall”). Both ficlets were written from prompts given to me during Prompt the Day Away I and II. Fallen Warrior was written forbe_a_rebel, and Office Gossip was for ladygray99.
Concrit is adored and appreciated.
_________________________________
Fallen Warrior
The day he sends his acceptance letter to Harvard, his father stops talking to him. Clinton Jones is the only son of a line of West Point graduates dating back to the first generation after the Civil War. His three-times great-grandfather was one of the first African Americans to attend and complete the rigorous training at the U.S. military academy. Every generation, a man in his family has received at least a Silver Star while fighting for his country. Most of them have had to die to earn it.
His father can't see that working for the FBI is just as honorable, just as worthy as donning a uniform and carrying a rifle and fighting and dying on some distant battlefield. Or more likely, dying of boredom in some office in D.C., shuffling paper from one desk to another.
Clinton still goes home for the holidays, he kisses his mother and hugs his Nana and tells them funny stories about Quantico training, or his probie assignments, or his boss Peter or the new consultant - a former criminal - that's taken the office by storm.
His father sits there and pretends not to listen, but Clinton can see the old man's eyes light up when he talks about the day the big boss outmaneuvered Neal into demonstrating his weapons prowess.
This Christmas, Clinton talks with Mama and Nana - he knows he really needs to mend the breach with his old man. The bullet his father took in the spine during a peacekeeping mission is slowly killing him, and Clinton knows he doesn't have too many years (or maybe months) left to make things right. So, instead of helping the women clear the table, he wheels his father into his study and talks, really talks to him. He finally explains to his father that serving in the military would mean he would have to live a lie, and that would be intolerable. The old man doesn't say a word. He sits there, jaw clenched, eyes looking everywhere but at his son.
Finally, Clinton gives up. He kisses his father on the cheek, says "I love you, Dad" and leaves the room. He doesn't hear his father reply, "I love you, too."
Office Gossip
From the first day that Neal Caffrey came to work at the Bureau, there had been rumors. It pissed Jones off to no end - lots of gossipy old women who had nothing better to do than to speculate about someone whom they knew nothing about. Most of them came from other departments - Organized Crime and Counter-Terrorism, usually. But sometime, he'd hear one of his office mates speculate and then they'd have to have a little quality time in the archives.
The first rumors were, naturally, about how Caffrey spent his time in prison. For a man who'd been behind bars for over four years, he looked awfully good. Clinton guessed they never bothered to look into his eyes or read his body language.
Then the speculation started about how he got such a cushy place to live (it amazed him how quickly people knew that Neal had a penthouse suite in an uptown mansion).
And finally - those dirty minded idiots started whispering about Peter and his "relationship" with Neal. It only took about two weeks for those rumors to begin. The homophobia and viciousness was unsettling, especially since it came from at least one SAIC.
The first week after Peter returned from his suspension, Jones got stuck in an elevator for two hours with Ruiz and one of his cohorts from Organized Crime. After listening to the filth spew out of their mouths, he went to Peter and his boss just looked at him, kind of sad and resigned.
"If you make a big deal out of it, it's going to get worse. Just ignore it and keep your own counsel."
Clinton felt like he just got a lecture from his mama about how to deal with bullies - and he supposed, this was the exact same thing. But still, it wasn't right.
He walked back downstairs and grabbed Diana and told her he's buying. Between the two of them, they'd come up with something.
Author:
elrhiarhodanRating: G
Fandom: White Collar
Spoilers: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Word Count: ~700
Summary: Two ficlets written featuring one of my favorite supporting characters, Special Agent Clinton Jones (and yes, Clinton is officially his first name – the WC writers confirmed that in a recent tweet. The only time his first name was used was during “Free Fall”). Both ficlets were written from prompts given to me during Prompt the Day Away I and II. Fallen Warrior was written for
be_a_rebel, and Office Gossip was for ladygray99. Concrit is adored and appreciated.
Fallen Warrior
The day he sends his acceptance letter to Harvard, his father stops talking to him. Clinton Jones is the only son of a line of West Point graduates dating back to the first generation after the Civil War. His three-times great-grandfather was one of the first African Americans to attend and complete the rigorous training at the U.S. military academy. Every generation, a man in his family has received at least a Silver Star while fighting for his country. Most of them have had to die to earn it.
His father can't see that working for the FBI is just as honorable, just as worthy as donning a uniform and carrying a rifle and fighting and dying on some distant battlefield. Or more likely, dying of boredom in some office in D.C., shuffling paper from one desk to another.
Clinton still goes home for the holidays, he kisses his mother and hugs his Nana and tells them funny stories about Quantico training, or his probie assignments, or his boss Peter or the new consultant - a former criminal - that's taken the office by storm.
His father sits there and pretends not to listen, but Clinton can see the old man's eyes light up when he talks about the day the big boss outmaneuvered Neal into demonstrating his weapons prowess.
This Christmas, Clinton talks with Mama and Nana - he knows he really needs to mend the breach with his old man. The bullet his father took in the spine during a peacekeeping mission is slowly killing him, and Clinton knows he doesn't have too many years (or maybe months) left to make things right. So, instead of helping the women clear the table, he wheels his father into his study and talks, really talks to him. He finally explains to his father that serving in the military would mean he would have to live a lie, and that would be intolerable. The old man doesn't say a word. He sits there, jaw clenched, eyes looking everywhere but at his son.
Finally, Clinton gives up. He kisses his father on the cheek, says "I love you, Dad" and leaves the room. He doesn't hear his father reply, "I love you, too."
Office Gossip
From the first day that Neal Caffrey came to work at the Bureau, there had been rumors. It pissed Jones off to no end - lots of gossipy old women who had nothing better to do than to speculate about someone whom they knew nothing about. Most of them came from other departments - Organized Crime and Counter-Terrorism, usually. But sometime, he'd hear one of his office mates speculate and then they'd have to have a little quality time in the archives.
The first rumors were, naturally, about how Caffrey spent his time in prison. For a man who'd been behind bars for over four years, he looked awfully good. Clinton guessed they never bothered to look into his eyes or read his body language.
Then the speculation started about how he got such a cushy place to live (it amazed him how quickly people knew that Neal had a penthouse suite in an uptown mansion).
And finally - those dirty minded idiots started whispering about Peter and his "relationship" with Neal. It only took about two weeks for those rumors to begin. The homophobia and viciousness was unsettling, especially since it came from at least one SAIC.
The first week after Peter returned from his suspension, Jones got stuck in an elevator for two hours with Ruiz and one of his cohorts from Organized Crime. After listening to the filth spew out of their mouths, he went to Peter and his boss just looked at him, kind of sad and resigned.
"If you make a big deal out of it, it's going to get worse. Just ignore it and keep your own counsel."
Clinton felt like he just got a lecture from his mama about how to deal with bullies - and he supposed, this was the exact same thing. But still, it wasn't right.
He walked back downstairs and grabbed Diana and told her he's buying. Between the two of them, they'd come up with something.
