Author's Note, Ok, so in a few days I start school again, woohoo. With the remaining days off I wanted to get some stuff done, the rest of my bags unpacked, and maybe some writing done. After a trip through like four airports and customs this summer I noticed families traveling.
Funniest damn thing in the world.
Especially if there are dads and teenage sons, it's like watching male rams fight. And then there are the nosey people.
Enjoy and review.
After almost twenty hours on planes, in airports, and layovers. Sanderson watched out the window at the landscape below the plane.
Italy.
In a few minutes they would land and make their way through the airport where a plain clothed man from base would pick them up. Their luggage was already taken care of.
Sanderson looked over at the empty seat beside him, then the row of seats in the middle with four seats across full of four sleeping children. All four were out as if they were dead. After fifteen hours wide awake from the excitement they had finally crashed. All four were slumped over in their seats at angles that would have been painful to any other person.
He checked his watch, 9:30.
He hadn't slept more then ten minutes at a time for most the trip. Still dressed in the clothes he had left the states in, they all were, Sanderson however had formula and baby vomit in patches on his clothes. A two-day beard. And breath that would wake the dead. His mints were up in the diaper bag above his head, after a moment of thought he decided he didn't have the energy to get up and get one.
"Hey, wake up," spoke Diana's husky, tired voice from behind.
Sanderson glanced up as she came down the aisle from the bathroom. The baby asleep against her chest. Her clothes also showed signs of the baby from the long flights. Her hair that had once been pulled up in a bun now hung down in strands.
Sanderson picked up the pillow from her seat as Diana sat down, careful not to wake the infant. "How much did the monkey eat?"
Diana made a face, she looked down over her sleeping son as Sanderson reached over and ran his fingers over the baby's soft small hand. "I don't know….I couldn't exactly keep track of measurements smartass."
"Well that'll teach you to pump more milk for international flights."
Diana lifted her free hand and flipped him off, "I filled like fifteen bottles. I didn't think he'd eat this much."
With a smile Sanderson noticed a woman from in front of them. Peering over the seat without shame or a care of privacy. Diana glanced up, instinctively putting her free hand over Daniel's head.
The older woman smiled, "That's beautiful. Is he your first?"
Diana looked over at Sanderson who shook his head, "No. Our other four are over in that row." A smile crept over Diana's face. She could hear the hidden annoyance in Sanderson's voice and could only image what Hoot would have told the woman. When the elderly woman looked over at the four sleeping children a look of surprise crossed her face.
Both Alexandria and Jordan shared their mother's Middle Eastern skin tone and features. Rachael and Robin however looked like both Hoot and Diana. She then looked back to Sanderson and Diana, unsure of what to say.
Sanderson smiled, "My wife gave birth to all five of my children. Aren't they beautiful?"
The woman looked back at the sleeping children, then to Daniel, and then Sanderson, "They're all yours?"
Sanderson nodded, "All five."
Diana grinned broadly, "They look just like their father. Can't you see the resemblance?"
With a pause, the woman forced a smile, "Oh yes." At that she turned around in her seat without another word.
Diana slumped sideways into Sanderson's strong arm, she put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. He kissed the top of her head, "Wake your ass up. If I don't get to nap, you don't get to nap. Besides we're landing in a few minutes."
A groan came from Diana.
Sanderson kissed her again, "Hand me the monkey and grab that baby holder thingy."
Diana nodded and slowly sat up, careful not to wake the baby. She peeled him from her chest and handed him to Sanderson's outstretched reach. Handling the sleeping child as if he were a bomb, Sanderson laid him on his chest. He placed a soft kiss on Daniel's soft head and rubbed the baby's back. With a sigh the infant settled onto the new chest and continued to sleep.
Diana stood and opened up the overhead compartment, she took out the papoose, closed the lid, then took a seat, "What will we do about those four?"
Sanderson glanced up then asked, "We have to wake them up?"
With a shake of her head Diana began to loosen the straps, she then motioned for Sanderson to sit up. With great care not to wake the baby he sat up and slid Daniel into the papoose, Diana took the straps and wrapped them around his waist and hooked them, she wrapped the other two up around his neck and hooked them. Only when Diana gave the straps a firm pull and they were certain the holder wouldn't move did Sanderson let go of the papoose which held the sleeping baby.
"Do you know who will meet us?" She asked softly as she took a seat and hooked her belt again. Sanderson shook his head, "No. A civilian dressed Delta is all I know…I do know the base fell under new command." Even though he spoke in a soft voice the baby still stirred from the vibrations.
"Who," Diana asked.
With a smile Sanderson teased, "You're Father and Hoot were big fans of his."
"Just tell me already," Diana spat.
As Sanderson stroked the knitted cap upon the baby's head he told Diana, "You know him as Captain Steele, but I don't know his new rank."
The surprise could not be hidden from Diana's face. "Does he know you're coming?"
With a nod Sanderson replied, "He was the one who requested me."
Diana stared in surprise at him. Just as the captain came over the speaker and told them they would be landing within a few minutes in Italian. She then looked over at the four sleeping children. Sanderson set his hand on her shoulder, "Wait till we land. Unless you want to relive the landing commentary from Jordan like earlier in London, D.C., and Germany."
"I forgot about that," she muttered softly, then relaxed in her seat as the plane lost altitude subtly. She peered across the seat and watched as the plane came closer and closer to the landing strip of the large airport.
Diana watched the plane draw closer and closer to the runway, when it hit all four kids woke up.
The girls yawned and glanced around as the plane made it's way down the bumpy runway, Jordan declared, "I'm hungry."
"Me too," Robin added, beside her Alexandria nodded, "D, I'm really hungry."
From the far end of the seats Rachael shouted out over the plane and people inside, "Are we there yet?"
Diana checked her watch, it had been four hours since they had airport pizza. She looked at all the dark brown eyes that stared at her, "Come on guys, we just got here. Once we get through the airport and find our….."
"Ride," Jordan offered as he unhooked his seatbelt and pulled his backpack from under the seat in front of him.
"Ride…we'll either get something on the way, or I'll feed y'all on the base."
"But I'm hungry now," Robin argued from beside Jordan, a safe distance from her mothers swat reach. Diana narrowed her eyes and her oldest daughter fell silent. "I know you guys are hungry. I'm hungry too. All I have are mints and chap stick."
Rachael peered around Alexandria, "What flavor chap stick?"
Sensing a revolt Sanderson leant forward in his seat, the airport in view from behind him. He pointed at all four children, "Chill out. You guys ate most the night. You'll eat, don't worry, just let us get through the airport without any lip."
"What about when we get out of the airport?" Jordan asked, which just earned him a glare from his father, "Don't be a smartass."
"What about a dumba," Jordan began until he was belted by Robin who hissed at him, "Shutup! If you get grounded how the hell are we gonna have fun with you in trouble?"
Diana set a hand on Sanderson's thigh, feeding him his words back, "Just chill out, it was a long trip for everyone."