A/N: I gotta do it again. I'm sorry. But this one will be compassionate; and filled with love.
And I'm setting up another story line for my next FF in this verse. Let me run with this before you shoot me.
Chapter 1
Jack and Caleigh sat in the living room in the kids' Atlanta home, waiting for ESPN's final results on All-Star voting. Zach was on the team charter flight home to Atlanta from Milwaukee. Jack's knee bounced as he looked at Caleigh. "Do you think Cal?" Jack anxiously asked.
Caleigh rubbed her ever expanding belly with one hand and Jack's back with the other. "I liked the last vote count I looked at. But honestly Jack, I'm trying to play it down for our little bundle." Jack looked at her. "So said bundle doesn't kick the hell out of me as I keep my nerves down."
Jack rubbed her tummy. "Be cool little one," he said. "I've got mom," he smiled.
Caleigh kissed his head. "Forever my champion."
ESPN announced the top fan All-Star getter for the American League. Aaron Judge of the Yankees won it by a mile. "That's a no brainer," Jack said.
"And the top National League vote getter is," Karl Ravich said into the camera, "Zach Hotchner, the Atlanta Braves catcher."
Jack looked at Caleigh. "Wow," he slightly smiled.
"Wow is right," Caleigh smiled back.
"Is that huge for Zach, Cal?"
Caleigh smiled. "That is a major huge for Zach." She rubbed his back. "And Jose is doing cartwheels right now."
"Cal?"
Caleigh smiled. "Every major accomplishment Zach makes in his career gets him more money per his new contract. Guess who gets a cut of that money."
"Jose," Jack said. "He's Zach's agent. I get it."
Caleigh pulled Jack into a hug. "Zach and I don't mind. Jose and Kelly take very good care of us. They deserve every penny they get."
Jack looked at her. "Uncle Dave calls his book agent a leech."
Caleigh laughed. "That's Uncle Dave. Zach and I would be lost without Jose and Kelly." She poked a finger into Jack's arm. "Who takes care of paying the bills and managing our money?"
Jack smiled. "Jose and Kelly. I get it."
Jack looked at the rest of the National League players that were selected to the All-Star team. "Wow Caleigh! Look! Minnie, Freddie, Folty and Ozzie!"
Caleigh laughed. "You hang around in the clubhouse too much." She rubbed Jack's shoulder. "But that is pretty awesome. The Braves are getting attention for their up and coming young team. I'm sure Zach will be stoked about all of them."
"What about Minnie?" Jack asked.
Caleigh smiled at Jack. "Zach figured he was a given. But I'm happy for him and Vic. And with the All Star game being in DC, our home might get a work out. Maybe even yours and Uncle Dave's"
"Bring it," Jack smiled.
Caleigh's phone went off with calls from their collective families.
Jack smiled at her. "Who's first?"
Caleigh smiled at him. "Who do you think? Text my folks their next."
Jack buzzed out a text as he and Caleigh talked with Aaron, Beth and Dave.
-00CM00-
Jack yawned, walking into the kitchen the next morning. Zach had gotten home in time from the day game in Milwaukee last night to tuck Jack in. Monday was a day off for him. And Snit ordered the team to take the day off.
Caleigh was cooking sausages as Zach was getting the flat top griddle ready to cook pancakes. "I get it dad," Zach said into his phone. "Cal and I both noticed how much he had slipped when Dave brought him down last month. I'm just glad God took him before Uncle Dave had to make the decision. And Cal and I got some time with him." Zach shook his head as Jack looked at Caleigh. "He and Uncle Dave were our rock. I gotta go dad. Jack is up. He knows. I'll talk to you later."
"Call me son," Aaron said.
"Promise dad," Zach answered. "But I'm out for now," he said, ending the call.
Caleigh pulled Jack into her arms. "Mudg passed away last night. Quietly in his sleep, just the way Mudg wanted to go. And Uncle Dave didn't have to take him to an appointment he didn't want to make."
Zach pulled Jack into his arms. "Uncle Dave knew. We got one more special time with him."
Jack wiped a tear looking at Zach. "When he put his head down on Cal's shoulder, I knew. I didn't want to admit it. But I knew. He was saying good-bye to all of us. Probably why Uncle Dave brought him along last month."
Zach rubbed Jack's back. "I agree Jack. But bro," Zach said, hugging Jack, "he had a helluva time saying it with you, Rashad, Miquel and AJ," Zach smiled at Jack. "He went in total Rossi style."
"Yeah he did," Jack smiled. He looked Zach in the eye. "We honor that. Mudg was our rock after losing mom."
Zach smiled. "He was. So was Uncle Dave."
"I get that Zach. But it's Mudg," Jack said, hugging Zach.
"I get it bro," Zach said. "I'm hurting too. But Jack; have your noticed?"
"Noticed what Zach?"
Zach rubbed his back. "None of us are crying much. We all knew this was coming." Jack nodded his head with his soft smile.
Caleigh rubbed Jack's back. "Like you, when Mudg put his head on my shoulder, I knew." She rubbed Jack's back. "But you know what bro?" Jack looked at her. "I think it was Mudg giving a whole lot of loves to your new niece or nephew."
Jack smiled. "That better be a nephew," he smiled. He shook his head. "The last time he was at the house with me and Beth when dad and Uncle Dave were out on a case, he couldn't jump up my bed to read with the two of us. Mudg always did that and then conked out. Beth and I knew; and talked."
Caleigh looked at Jack. "Talked about what?" she asked as Zach started making pancakes.
"We both loved having Mudg around when dad was out on a case." Jack looked at the couple and gave his small Haley smile as he climbed into one of the kitchen counter chairs to inhale the four pancakes and three sausages Caleigh gave him. "He was sorta like an extra security blanket," he said, eating his breakfast. "Beth enjoyed that as much as I did. We talked about getting a dog. But we both agreed that getting a puppy wouldn't work. Not with our schedules and the school year approaching." Jack shook his head, taking another bite. "I'm so not ready for that." Zach and Caleigh smiled at each other.
Doing breakfast clean-up together, Caleigh looked at Zach firing off a text while Jack was outside with Lexie. "Zach?"
He smiled at her. "Just a heads up to Jenna and Charlie," he smiled. "I doubt they can find a dog but it doesn't hurt to try." Caleigh looked at him. "I agree with Beth and Jack. A puppy doesn't work in their world with all of them being gone during the day. You made it work with Lex because you were around." Caleigh nodded her head with a smile. "And I have total buy in to adopt not shop. But babe; how many shelters have a pure bred Lab lying around?" Caleigh pointed at him cleaning up the kitchen cook island.
Just then, Zach's phone buzzed with a text. Zach looked at the sender and shook his head with a laugh, showing it to Caleigh. Caleigh smiled. "I can't wait for them to get here."
"Me either," Zach said. "This going to be special for them." Caleigh smiled, already knowing what the Braves had planned for their All Stars.
Jack blew into the kitchen with Lex, both of them hot from the Georgia morning heat. Lex dived into her water bowl as Jack pulled out a bottle of water from the fridge. Zach looked at Jack and smiled. "You want some good news?"
"What?" Jack said.
"Grandma, grandpa and Aunt Jess are on their way here," Zach smiled.
Jack beamed. "Just what we all needed."
"Yup," Caleigh smiled, pulling Jack into a hug kissing his head. "Now get your butt into the shower. You stink; and your brother needs to do the same and shave."
"Yes ma'am," the Brother Hotchners responded with smiles.
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A/N: Snit is Brian Snitker. The manager, aka coach of the Braves.
Jenna and Charlie are the couple that Zach got Lexie for Caleigh through Dave's connections.
I'll say it again. I'm setting up a "B" story line for the next story in this verse. Don't shoot. Just trust me.