Chapter 2

Zach woke to the smell of breakfast sausages browning in the kitchen. He rolled out of bed pulling on his current pair of athletic shorts and a t-shirt he pulled out of his dresser drawer. He walked into the kitchen, rubbing the hairs on his stomach with his left hand, as only a male teenager could do. With his right hand, he scratched the stubble on his face with a yawn as he reached into the fridge.

Aaron looked at him, shook his head, and pulled a glass out of the cupboard for Zach to pour his apple juice into. Zach cracked a small smile. "Thanks dad."

"Are you awake?" Hotch asked.

Zach shook his head. "Nope dad; just hungry."

"Me too Z-man," Jack smiled at him. "Thanks bro for last night."

Zach yawned deeply again. "No worries bro," he smiled, rubbing Jack's head. "I rock….."

"I roll," Jack smiled. Beth smiled at the boys as Aaron did as well and got pancakes cooking. The boys ate heartily. Zach, with his belly full, walked back down to his lair, thanking Beth and his dad for breakfast. He stripped back down to his boxers, climbed into his bed and conked back out. Jack having the nightmare had brought his own back on. Yet, he battled the demon alone. But he needed more sleep.

Aaron looked at Beth as they finished eating, both the boys gone from the kitchen. He sadly shook his head. "If Jack had it, Zach probably did too." Beth just shook her head as well. They cleaned up the kitchen and rounded up Jack to go for a bike ride.

While they were getting ready to leave, Jack looked at his dad. "Dad, what's up with Zach?"

"What do you mean Jack?"

"Every now and then I see him talking on his phone and he always has this funny little smile."

Beth looked at Aaron with her own smile. Aaron smiled at her and then Jack. "I sure it's just a special friend of his Jack." Jack shrugged and they set off down the driveway.

Zach, as he stood in front of the mirror of his bathroom in his clean boxers, shaving to his standards, not his father's, heard his cellphone ring. By the quiet in the house, he knew he was the only one home. He walked to get it off the coffee table, looking at the caller ID.

He smiled. "Hey Uncle Dave; wassup?"

"Zach I need your help."

"Uncle Dave?"

"I need you and your truck; I'm sorry if I'm waking you up."

Zach smiled. "No worries Uncle Dave. I just got out of the shower and doing my version of shaving that pisses dad off. Do I assume this means some heavy lifting on my part as well?"

"That's right kid," Dave smiled.

"Give me about fifteen minutes Uncle Dave."

"You got it Zach."

Zach, when he finished shaving, pulled on a pair of cargo shorts, grabbed his Braves t-shirt and slipped on his pair of Nike flip flops. He stuck his wallet in the back left pocket, like his dad, and headed up the steps. Walking into the kitchen, he pulled a note pad and pen from its space and left a message. Hey Dad and Beth; Uncle Dave has me on project. See ya soon; cell with me if you need me. Z

Zach headed to the garage and got in his truck, pushing a button on his cellphone. Dave Rossi answered on the other end. "I'm on my way Uncle Dave."

"Thanks Zach." Five minutes later, Zach pulled into Dave's driveway. He was waiting for him and climbed into the cab of Zach's truck. "I appreciate this Zach," he smiled as Zach backed out of the driveway. He noticed the extra vehicle next to the garage and wickedly smiled at Dave, who smugly smiled back.

"Uncle Dave, give me a clue," Zach said, pulling down the street.

"The outdoor fireplace I ordered at the Home Depot is in."

"Outdoor fireplace?"

"Yeah, Erin loves the fireplace and suggested I get one for the patio in the backyard," he explained.

Zach looked at Dave. "Erin suggested it?" Dave nodded. Zach got the wicked smile again. "You're more pussy whipped than dad," he said with a laugh.

"Shut up and drive," Dave growled. Zach just laughed harder. After they had arrived at the store and did all the necessary checkout stuff, they went to the truck, got in and Zach drove around back to the pick-up zone. They walked in the doors and the associate pointed at the box.

Zach just looked at the size of the box and then Dave. "You just had to buy the biggest and the best, didn't you?"

"That's right," Dave smiled.

Zach walked over to the box. "Good thing the box has openings on the side for our hands or this would be a bitch to carry," he observed, putting his hands in one side. "Come ol' man, you're not getting any younger." Dave just glared at him. Zach gave him the BS smile.

"Damn, it is a load," Dave grunted. They got it loaded in the back of Zach's pick up and drove back.

They returned less than an hour later with Zach helping Dave carry the box to the back patio. After they sat it down, Zach went to Dave's garage and came out with a screwdriver to pry up the packing staples the box had on the top. Dave looked at him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna help you put this thing together."

"Thanks Zach," Dave smiled, "I can do that." Just then Erin Strauss joined them letting Mudg out as well, comfortably dressed down that surprised Zach.

"Chief Strauss," he nodded in greeting.

"Zach," she smiled, "I'm off duty. Erin works."

Zach smiled. "OK; easy enough to remember," he winked. She smiled. "Now back to the dummy," he said, looking at Dave. "Uncle Dave I'm going to help you put this together now, because," he said, pulling out the directions, "I'm a new school man. You, being old school, will try to do it without this," he said, shaking the directions in his face, "you'll mess it up and be calling me an hour from now to come over and help you get it apart and together the right way. So we're going to do it the right way the first time."

Erin looked at Zach. "He's one of those?"

"He's the worst," Zach smiled at her. He pointed to Dave's "Cadillac Weber" as Zach called it. "You should have seen the mess he made of that; took me an hour just to get back to square one." Erin laughed, sat down and watched them put it together, the three of them chatting as Zach started in, doing most of the work. Mudg, after running off to do his business, came on the patio and curled up next to Erin's lounge chair. Erin would occasionally rub Mudg's back. Zach smiled at that.

About fifteen minutes in, his cell rang. He pulled it out of his pocket thinking it was his dad. He looked at the caller ID, and smiled a bit. "I'm going to take this Uncle Dave; don't touch a thing until I get back." He walked inside the house.

Dave looked at him standing in the kitchen. "Finally," he sighed.

"David," Erin questioned.

"He's finally got a girlfriend. I was beginning to worry," he smiled.

Zach came out a few minutes later and picked up the directions. "Where were we?"

Dave looked at him. "What's her name?"

"Huh, Uncle Dave?"

"Zach, it's English. What. Is. Her. Name?"

Zach gave Dave a look with his small smile on one side of his mouth. Damn he just looked like Aaron Dave thought. He was also blushing a bit. "Now you're busted kid; spit it out."

Zach smiled a bit. "Her name is Caleigh."

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A/N: Home Depot is one of the many home fix it mega-stores in the States.

Caleigh is pronounced CAL-ee.