Chapter 12: Ten Years After
A twenty-six year old woman was currently watching her niece and nephew run about the yard around the three old planes, who chuckled as the two would climb up on them and then slide down their wings.
Rachel stood beside Skipper with an amused smile on her face. It hadn't been too long after the race that the Flight Hearts had found a way back home and the three veterans found a way to visit them.
The old war plane gently nuzzled her arm and she wrapped her arms around his nose to hug him as best she could. She sighed softly.
Suddenly, a blue streak came flying out of the house and grabbed Rachel's leg. Smiling, she looked down to see her adopted daughter smiling up at her.
"Up already, Melody?" she asked with amusement as she lifted the four-year-old girl into her lap.
"Uh-huh!" the little girl nodded enthusiastically before hugging Skipper, which was a cute sight, seeing as her arms were not very long, but Skipper chuckled all the same and gently tousled her long, blonde hair.
"My little great-grandflyer," he said fondly.
"Hi, great-grandpa Skipper," Melody said, setting back into her mother's lap.
A plane engine drew their attention to the sky and they saw and familiar orange plane land gently and open his doors, letting a young man step out and then hold his hand out to a young woman, helping her step down from the cab.
"Mommy! Daddy!" the two five-year-old twins shouted gleefully as they ran to greet their parents.
"Hey, Sasha. Sam," said Amber, hugging her two children with Dylan hugging her sideways to allow the children to hug him too. "Were you both good for your uncles, aunt, and great grandfather?"
"They were very well-behaved," said Rachel, coming up to them, holding Melody, who had her head resting on her mother's shoulder.
It was only a few minutes later that all three kids fell fast asleep, making the adults smile in amusement as they put the children to bed. As Amber and Dylan went to bed as well, Rachel went outside to look at the stars as Dusty pulled up to the house.
"Hey, Dusty," she said in greeting.
"Hey, Rach," he responded. "I'm heading in."
"Okay, goodnight," she said.
"Goodnight," he said, heading over to the hanger to sleep. El Chu and Bulldog did the same as Rachel moved towards Skipper's hanger to say goodnight.
Skipper watched as Rachel came in and hugged him. "Goodnight, Grandpa," she said.
"Goodnight, my grandflyer," he said, tucking Rachel in as she fell sound asleep. Rolling up beside her bed and settling down, he followed her lead and was asleep with memory lane playing its calming melody in his mind.
Finished! Woo-hoo! This is my longest story to date. I want to thank all of my viewers and reviewers, especially Sophia for all of her great reviews and her ideas about the race. You guys are all awesome! Please review and keep viewing my stories!
GoldGuardian2418