A/N: This chapter will be me trying to make this story a different one. Please hang in there with me. I've done the Thanksgiving dinner part how many times, so I'm just gonna slide past that.
Thank you everyone for the reviews, favorite and following alerts. I appreciate them all. And holy sh*t! Something to be truly thankful for. FF is functioning at 100%. It only took two months.
Chapter 2
Cait and Aaron got the boys on the Yellow Line Metro at Huntington Station. Like Sean had said the day before, the boys were veteran subway riders. The four got off at the stop at the Pentagon. Wyatt looked at Cait. "We need to transfer to the Blue Line to get to the Arlington stop."
"We go that way," Ethan pointed.
"Very good pal," Aaron smiled, rubbing Ethan's stocking cap.
Twenty minutes later, the four Hotchners entered the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. Cait and Aaron guided them to the paved footpath to the right just inside the gate. Cait took Ethan's hand. "We've got a bit of a hike."
"I'm OK Aunt Cait," Ethan smiled at her.
Making their way to the Tomb of the Unknowns, the boys noticed a small section of the cemetery that was different from the rest. Wyatt looked at Aaron. Cait and Aaron took the detour. A few minutes later, the four of them were standing by the gravesite of John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States. The boys looked at Cait. Aaron softly smiled. "Go Doc."
Cait crouched down, putting her arm around each boy. "He was the youngest president ever elected. And he was charismatic." The boys looked at her. "He was popular and brought a new energy into Presidency."
"Why the flame?" Ethan pointed at the eternal flame near the gravesite.
Cait smiled. "First off Ethan, in this hallowed ground, please don't point. Just nod." Ethan nodded at her. Cait grinned. "JFK, as many called him, was assassinated while he was president." The boys looked at her. "He was shot and killed in Dallas. He had a lovely wife named Jackie who the country loved and two children, a girl and boy, younger than you two when he was killed. It was a horrible shock to the entire U.S."
"Do you remember him Uncle Aaron," Wyatt quietly asked.
Aaron shook his head, crouching down to join Cait with the boys. "No Wyatt, I don't. I wasn't born then. But Grandma and Grandpa do. They can tell you their memories of his impact."
Wyatt looked at Cait and smiled. "Sounds like something I can make a good history report out of next semester."
Cait smiled at him. "Rock it out and send me a copy." The four spent a minute in reverent silence at the gravesite. Aaron and Cait stood up and moved the boys back to the main path.
Walking up the hill more, they walked past the marked exit off the main footpath that would lead to the Tomb of the Unknowns. The boys looked at Cait and Aaron. "We're using a different way to get there," Cait said to them. Aaron smiled at Cait. "JJ?" Cait smiled back with a nod. They got to the south side of the Amphitheatre and museum that was just west of the Tomb.
Aaron and Cait got the boys to a rope line an off-duty Tomb sentinel was manning. He softly smiled at the boys. A National Park Ranger, also on duty in the area, smiled at the four of them as well.
Aaron crouched down. "Boys listen," he whispered as the senior sentinel came out of the guard's barracks below the museum. "This is the start of the changing of the guard. But listen closely to how the footsteps match. At all times. Plus the heel clicks. And boys, count the steps the sentinel makes past the tomb each time." Ethan looked at Aaron.
Cait bent over. "Uncle Aaron is right," she whispered.
Wyatt looked at Aaron. "I remember that from the video," he whispered. Aaron rubbed his chest as the senior sentinel made his way to the Tomb. In perfect unison with the sentinel guarding the Tomb, he turned, clicking heels with the sentinel at the end of his northbound walk. The senior sentinel saluted the Tomb. Clicking heels again with the sentinel turning to make the walk back past the Tomb, the senior sentinel turned to face the crowd on the museum steps.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please. I am Sergeant Wilkerson of the Third Infantry Regiment, United States Army, Guard of Honor, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The ceremony," he said as the sentinel guard passed behind him, "you are about to witness is the changing of the guard. In keeping with the dignity of this ceremony, it is requested that all stay silent and standing. Thank you."
Aaron stood up and held Wyatt close to his legs. Cait did the same with Ethan. The "new" sentinel came out of the guardroom. The boys watched in awe as the precisely dressed uniformed sentinel passed in front of them, clicking open the bullet chamber of his rifle. Wyatt looked at Aaron. "That's a signal isn't it?" he whispered. Aaron nodded with a smile.
With their "front row" viewing spot, the boys got an up-close view of the sentinel sergeant inspecting the new sentinel. The inspection was very thorough which eventually took away from the boys' attention. Aaron put his arm around Cait, pulling her close. "I know you brought your video camera," he whispered in her ear. "Why aren't you filming this?"
"Aaron, there has to be hundreds of videos on YouTube that have the changing of the guard," she whispered back. She nodded at the boys. "Why they found one," she softly smiled. The four of them watched the rest of the ceremony in silence.
When the senior sentinel and the exiting sentinel walked past them, precisely walking down the steps to guards' room, Ethan smiled at Cait. "This was too cool. Thanks Aunt Cait," he whispered.
Wyatt looked at Aaron. "Twenty-one Uncle Aaron," he whispered. Ethan nodded his head with the count. "Does that mean something?"
Aaron smiled. "Yes. Which Aunt Cait and I will explain as we walk back to the car."
Cait smiled at Aaron. "Flag on that play."
A plain clothed, dark suit and winter wool coat wearing security agent approached the group. "SAC Hotchner. I need the four of you to follow me please."
Aaron looked at Cait. "JJ," she smiled.
"SAC Hotchner, I'm State Department Security Agent Miesen," the man smiled. "I just need to get the four of you cleared from the area while we do a security sweep." He nodded at the National Park Ranger. "The NPS will let you and your family into their small office on the side of the museum while we do our job."
The uniformed NPS Ranger smiled at the family. "Follow me," she said, waving them towards the building. Agent Miesen nodded at her. The Ranger got them into the tiny office. She smiled at the boys. "I'm Ranger Abby. What's your names?"
"I'm Ethan," he smiled at her.
"I'm Wyatt," he said. "Ranger Abby, please tell us what is going on before Uncle Aaron does his thing."
Cait rubbed Aaron's arm with a smile. "I've got him Ranger Abby," Cait smiled. She looked at Aaron. "The German Federal Defense Minister is laying a wreath at the Tomb at eleven."
Wyatt looked at Cait. "A big shot?"
Cait smiled. "Above all pay grades in this room Wyatt."
"And then some," Ranger Abby smiled.
Aaron looked at Cait with a smile. "Which JJ tipped you off about."
"Ooo she did more than that Aaron. She got all the DS Agents to have full buy-in on the four of us going back to our spot to see the full wreath laying ceremony." Aaron looked at her. "A platoon of each of the five service branches plus the U.S. Army Field Band. The Military District's best," she smiled at Aaron. He smiled at the significance.
Wyatt looked at Aaron. "Is that big deal Uncle Aaron?"
Aaron smiled at him. "That is a very big deal."
Ethan looked at Cait. "If it's that big, I gotta whiz."
"Me too," Wyatt added.
Ranger Abby smiled, nodding at a door. "That's our bathroom. It's small. But it's clean and works."
Aaron got the boys in the door. Cait looked at Abby. "Don't tell me."
Abby shook her head. "I'll take cleaning the bathroom for two hundred Alex to have this duty," she smiled.
Aaron shook his head. "That isn't right."
"I stand by my original statement SAC Hotchner. My folks, not liking me wanting to join the Park Service after college, expected me to be stuck in some remote park. I'll take this," she smiled. Abby looked at the two of them. "I make my two apartment roommates do bathroom duty," she winked.
"Rock it," Cait smiled. The boys came out. Cait looked at them. "Did you wash your hands?" Wyatt and Ethan looked at each other.
Aaron smiled. "You two don't know Aunt Cait by now?" The boys shook their heads at each other, heading back into the bathroom. Abby smiled.
Twenty minutes later, Ranger Abby led the family back to the spot just past the steps coming from the Tomb guard's prep room. The boys looked around the cemetery at the area filling with military personnel.
DS Agent Miesen smiled at Aaron. "SAC Hotchner, my German counterpart Henrick Walz. Agent Walz, Special Agent in Charge Aaron Hotchner of the FBI."
"Pleasure to meet you Agent Walz," Aaron smiled, shaking his hand.
"Likewise Agent Hotchner," Walz said.
Miesen nodded at Cait. "This is Dr. Barkley slash Agent Hotchner," he smiled at Walz.
Cait looked at Walz. "Or this morning just Aunt Cait," she smiled, shaking Walz's hand.
"Pleasure to meet you," he smiled. He looked at the boys. "And you two are…?"
"I'm Wyatt, he's Ethan," Wyatt thumbed at this brother.
"Pleasure to meet you boys," Walz smiled.
Miesen looked at Aaron, nodding at the boys. "Jets stocking caps? Really?"
Aaron smiled. "Agent, it's not what you know, but who you married. NYC is home and you take the bad to get what makes you truly happy," he winked.
"Copy that sir," Miesen smiled. The earpieces in the two Agents' ears crackled. Miesen looked at the boys. "Get ready," he winked. Cait pulled out her video camera.
The Tomb sentinel went into the small guard shack at the north end. The Army Field Band began to fill the south entrance to the Tomb near the Hotchners. The U.S. Military Flag Color Guard entered the area along with the five platoons, one from each of the service branches. Wyatt and Ethan were enthralled with it all.
Aaron noticed Miesen and Walz become more on alert. Soon, the U.S. Secretary of State and her German counterpart came out of the building along with the US Army General in charge of the Military District. They descended the steps to area that held the Tomb. The Tomb sentinel came out of the guard shack carrying the large wreath and walked up to the two dignitaries. The command Present Arms rang through the area. Aaron and Cait looked at each other as all the uniformed personnel followed that order in perfect synchronization. The boys noticed as well. The Tomb guard escorted the German minister to the front of the Tomb to place the wreath.
After placing the wreath, the Tomb sentinel moved next to a lone bugler that started playing the mournful notes of Taps. Cait and Aaron pulled off the boys' stocking caps as the boys started to put their right hand on their heart like they saw others doing. Cait and Aaron put their right hands across their hearts.
When the final notes of Taps started to echo through that portion of the cemetery, the dignitaries started leaving the area. Cait got the boys to put their stocking caps back on. They waited for the Army band to leave the area marching past them. The boys watched the honor platoons leave as well. Just as they were about to leave, the senior sentinel who had done the last change of guard inspection came up the steps from the guards' room and smiled at the boys. "Thank you gentlemen for your respect for the Tomb we guard." He handed each of the boys a Tomb Guard pin. The boys beamed their gratitude.
"Thank you Sergeant," Aaron smiled.
"My pleasure sir," he smiled back.
Forty minutes later, Aaron, Cait, and the boys walked out the entrance to Arlington. Aaron and Cait were each holding one of the boys' hand as they walked to the Metro stop. Wyatt shook his head at them. "Thanks you two," he smiled.
Cait rubbed his head smiling. "Please tell that to JJ Saturday night. She made that happen for us to get that close to watch."
"That was awesome," Ethan beamed. Getting to the stop, the boys showed their pins to Aaron and Cait. "I will never forget this," Ethan enthused.
Aaron winked at Cait with a smile as the Metro train pulled up and they got the boys on board. Cait looked at the text on her cellphone. Matt, Lauren and Millie were home. They all laughed at the picture Matt sent of Millie and Maggie meeting.
When the four of them got home and in the house, the boys were met in the kitchen by Millie. Her broad, muscular front shoulders spooked the boys for a second even with her tail wagging and Millie wearing her happy smile. She sat down in front of Ethan and politely put her paw on his chest. Ethan smiled. Millie got up on all four paws and licked his face.
"I drew the line at the handshake," Maggie winked at the boys. The boys laughed, hugging Millie. Bella couldn't stand to be left out of the attention to everyone's laughter. Aaron and Cait hugged Matt and Lauren.
Matt looked at Wyatt and Ethan. "So? How was it?" he smiled. Everyone admired their pins as the boys exuberantly told everyone about their morning. Matt stopped them. "So what is the meaning of the twenty-one steps?"
"When heads of state are buried, they get a twenty-one gun salute. The sentinels do it for the unknowns. It's to honor them," Wyatt explained. Lauren rubbed his head with a smile.
Sean and Leslie looked at Cait and Aaron. Aaron shook his head. "I'll tell the two of you the same thing that Doc told the boys." He looked at the couple. "Thank JJ Saturday night. She pulled the strings."
Twenty minutes later, Jarrod, sitting at the nook counter, softly whistled at everyone in the kitchen and nodded with a smile. Ethan and Millie were curled up together on the floor in front of the fireplace with Millie snoring. Wyatt and Bella were conked out together on the couch. "And it's my naptime," Jarrod smiled, moving to the recliner.
-00CM00-
By three-thirty the kitchen and nook area was full of family. Dave, like always, was holding court from his chair at the nook counter. Ted Emerson was sitting next him. Jarrod had his usual third chair. The three of them were enjoying a beer.
Mike and Andi, just in the door, pulled out the large cylinder of braunschweiger from a grocery bag and the extra-large box of Wheat Thins along with small appetizer plates, putting them on the kitchen island. Matt handed Mike a knife from Cait's wooden block of knives in the kitchen to get the braunschweiger package open. The two oldest boys dove in. Jack and Tate, home from school, joined the mix a few minutes later. Bella, Max and Millie worked the crowd for snacks.
Ted sat down next to Dave after doing his own foraging with his grandson. He looked at Dave, shook his head and smiled. "I'm sixty-five years old. And I didn't know this existed," he said, putting a scoop of the pate on his cracker, "until earlier this year at a baseball tournament," he smiled.
Dave smiled back, rubbing his shoulder. "Just keep hanging out with this family Ted."
Aaron pulled Cait close and smiled at her. "They're all home," he said kissing her cheek.
"It's a madhouse," Cait said looking at him. She smiled. "But it's my kind of madhouse."
"Mine too," Aaron smiled, kissing her again. Jake, coming in from the garage, handed the two of them a beer with a smile.
Everyone enjoyed Maggie's BBQ sandwiches for dinner. Three bags of rippled potato chips and two bags of baby carrots with veggie dip met their demise as well. Cait broke out her pecan bars, which basically tasted like pecan pie. "I like this better than the pie," Ted smiled at her. Cait smiled, knowing what was coming next. "Smaller size and smaller load of calories."
"Why I make them," she smiled.
"They are the bomb mom," Matt said, grabbing another square.
Dave and Ted joined the family at church for the Thanksgiving Eve Service. Walking out of church, Matt looked at Jake and Steph. "You two going to come down to Dave's and join the party," he smiled.
Steph shook her head. "We'll wait until tomorrow night after the work is done."
"And party with your mom and dad," Jake winked.
XXX
A/N: The Military District of D.C. schedules and coordinates all ceremonies in and around the U.S. Capitol area, working with the other federal agencies involved.
The Jets are one of the two NFL (U.S. football) teams in the New York City area. Loyalties are divided and bitter.
Like I said in the chapter, there are literally hundreds of YouTube videos showing the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Why I didn't go into elaborate detail. Have fun going into the YouTube wormhole. Hehehe
And for the record: yes. In one of my many travels being the company grunt doing industry show conventions, a very nice NPS (National Park Service) Ranger at Arlington (D.C. was always my special place to work/visit) tipped me off about this kind of ceremony while I visited the Tomb of the Unknowns. And it worked out I was off the next day at the hour that it was scheduled. I was thrilled to see it. And there is YouTube video of wreath laying ceremonies if you are so inclined.