A/N: How to wrap up a story title. With subtle hints that were dropped in the last chapter.
And gee, how well did a family eat this weekend? :D
Chapter 5
Infield batting practice was done for the Braves before their series opener with the Diamondbacks of Arizona on Tuesday. Like always, the players were in the clubhouse, milling around their cafeteria, getting a bite to eat. And like always, the coaches soon joined the group.
Yet, as they were all eating, they noticed the entire clubhouse staff filter in. Snit looked at his coaching staff sharing a table. They all shrugged or shook their heads.
Zach was sharing his usual table corner table with Andy and Freddie Freeman. Zach rose out of his chair and walked into the center of the room. Freddie winked at Minnie. "It's about god damn time," he whispered.
"Ya think Freddo?" Minnie whispered back.
"Can I have your attention please," Zach said, standing in the middle of the cafeteria. The support staff started to head off. "No," he said to them. "All of you." They filtered back in, looking at each other.
Zach looked at his slides and then lifted his head. "We need to talk. All of us." He shook his head. "And I know I'm the last guy in this room you expect to hear that from." He looked around the room. "There's a reason for that. Which I'll get to soon."
Zach walked up to the table with Acuǹa, Johan Comargo and Ozzie Albies sitting together with Franco Garcia, the Braves' club translator for the Latin American players. "¿Puedo tomar esta silla?" The four Latinos smiled at each other. Zach had never used his Spanish skills before, pulling the chair away from the table. He put it in the middle of the room, turned it around and sat down on it backwards with his arms on the back of the chair.
He looked around the room. "Sunday night after the game, I came home to four of the most influential men in my life standing around in our kitchen. The most important of them being my dad." Zach looked at his hands and then around the room. "My dad is my hero. And my role model on how to be a leader. He's the Unit Chief of an elite group of FBI agents." Zach shook his head with a smile. "Dad isn't a rah-rah type leader. He does it quietly and solely by example. His team gets it. He looked me in the eye and said 'talk to me'."
"But as I was talking with him, and the other three men that have influenced me so much, I realized I was talking to the wrong people." Zach looked around the room.
"I tell all of you what I told them. That series win last weekend was huge. We're in a tough division with teams loaded with talent. And if we want to satisfy our hunger, we've got to win games against division opponents."
Zach paused. "Was the series against Philly tough? Damn right it was. But we responded. And we won a big series this past weekend."
He looked at his teammates. "We all know how long the baseball season is. We're going to have lows like we had in Philly. And we're going to have highs like last weekend." He looked at them all. "The season is a journey. We do that journey together."
Zach looked around. "That's why we are so blessed with Snit and the rest of the coaching staff. They keep us together as a team. But guys, each one of us has to pledge to each other, right here and right now that if we are hungry enough to want to get to our goal, we journey together. That includes the clubhouse staff," he said and looked at the cafeteria staff to "and to all those that support us. If you are hungry, we journey together."
Zach got off the chair, pushing it back to its place. "I haven't said that much at one time since my wedding reception," he said, shaking his head.
"I can second that," Minnie smiled.
Brian McCann walked into the middle of the room, slapping Cob on the shoulder as he walked back to his table. "Cob is right guys. I've been there. To that promised land we are all hungry for. It's the most amazing feeling in the world. But we have to do it together. Let's keep at it and take care of business on the journey."
The team went into the locker room to get ready for the game. Zach read the one text on his phone. Hi son. Home safe. Sean, Kim, Merrill and Sela heading out in a bit to their redeye flights back home.
A day later, there were two large boxes in the middle of the Braves' clubhouse. There were new t-shirts and long-sleeve thermals with the words We Journey Together. Freddie winked at Nick Markakis and Ender Inciarte. "It was our turn to buy," Ender smiled, winking back.
-00CM00-
The Atlanta Braves organization the next two weeks made some big moves. They signed Acuńa to an eight-year contract worth one hundred million dollars in salary and incentives. Five days later, they signed Ozzie Albies to a seven-year deal. Another two weeks later, Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson had long-term deals as well. Minnie got his a day later.
Two days later, Aaron slid the keycard into the door of the hotel room he was sharing with Dave in the afternoon. The entire team had worked tirelessly for three days to help the Denver PD catch a serial killer who had dropped nine bodies in less than two weeks. The team pulled an all-nighter helping Denver PD apprehend the suspect earlier that morning.
Opening the door and walking in, Aaron looked at Dave, sitting in a chair, his feet up on his bed with his shoes off, drinking a scotch with the TV on. Hotch looked at him. "You're the one who hammered me over the head the team needed sleep and you're watching TV?"
"It's ESPN's Baseball Tonight," Dave pointed.
"So?"
"Aaron, there is something going on down in Atlanta. And Zach isn't in the mix."
"He hasn't said anything to me," Aaron yawned, pulling his tie loose.
"Aaron, they've locked up every player except Zach."
"Dave," Aaron said. "I haven't heard anything from Zach. If he was worried about something like that, he would have told me. And honestly, he doesn't tell me much about the back dealings of his career. He leaves that to Jose. So do I." He smiled, taking the glass of scotch Dave offered.
Karl Ravech, the host of the daily afternoon baseball program on the sports network, looked into the camera after the show came out of a commercial break. He looked at the two sitting at the desk with him. Alex Rodriquez, a former star with the New York Yankees and Buster Olney, a highly respected baseball reporter.
"Let's go to Atlanta guys. Alex Anthopoulos, the Braves' GM has been making some big time long-term signings."
"He's telling the NL East and the rest of baseball that this is his team along with re-signing Markakis and bringing Brian McCann and Josh Donaldson in as free agents," Rodriquez said.
"But guys," Ravech said. "There's one part missing."
Dave looked at Aaron. "You listening to this?" Aaron shook his head, hanging up his suit in his boxers and white t-shirt.
Olney looked at Ravech. "You're right Karl. Zach Hotchner is the straw that turns the drink in Atlanta. And all my sources say there is nothing going on with him."
"I heard that," Aaron yawned. He drained his drink, putting the glass on the counter by the TV. "But that's not my worry. That worry is my son's and his agent." He yawned again. "I'm heading to bed."
-00CM00-
Two weeks later on a Monday, the team was assembled in the Round Table Room for their usual morning briefing. Section Chief Cruz was there as well for his monthly update with the team. Getting ready to walk out of his office, Aaron's cellphone rang. He looked at the caller ID.
"Zach? Is something wrong?"
"No dad, we're all fine. I just thought I should give you a heads up."
Garcia looked at her laptop. "It's ten oh one," she whispered.
Morgan looked at Dave. "Rossi, what's going on?"
"He didn't say a word to me," Dave said.
"He's never late," Emily said.
A couple minutes later, Tara looked around the table. "He's now five minutes late?" she softly said.
Everyone looked at Reid. "Sorry, I'm trying to not keep track of things like that with the team."
"Like that's happening," Emily snarked.
Aaron blew into the room and sat down next to Dave. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting."
"Everything OK Aaron?" Cruz asked.
Dave looked at Aaron. "You OK?"
Aaron looked at him. "Honestly Dave, my head is spinning right now."
"Hotch?" JJ asked.
"Sorry JJ," Hotch said. "Not what you think. I'm fine. I won't pass out on the floor again. I'm just digesting some news."
"Aaron?" Dave asked.
Hotch looked at him. "Zach just called me." Dave and the team looked at him. "Sorry, nothing to worry about. They're all fine," he said to his team. And then shook his head.
"Aaron?" Dave softly asked.
"My oldest son just informed me that the Atlanta Braves are holding a press conference this afternoon to announce his contract extension. A ten year one worth thirity-one million a year guaranteed plus incentives."
"Wow!" Emily smiled.
"Holy shit," Morgan added.
Dave looked at Hotch. "Forgive me if my head is still in a fog that my oldest son is going to be making that much money a year."
"You're forgiven," Cruz smiled. JJ pointed at him with a smile.
Hotch looked at Dave. "You don't want to know the kicker."
"What's that?" Dave asked.
"They wanted to top Mike Trout's deal with the Angels."
"Richest contract in baseball," Reid spouted. "Thirty-three point five million a year. Zach's is now the second biggest."
"Do I want to know Aaron?" Dave asked.
Hotch smiled. "Probably not. You'd disown him." Dave looked at Aaron. "Dad, I'd have been happy with ten million a year," Aaron said, recounting his conversation with Zach. "I'm not in it for the money. I just want to play baseball and get that gold trophy."
"Thank you Jose," Dave said.
Morgan looked at Dave. "I think you can cancel your college fund for the twins," Derek smiled.
"That was spot on excellent snark," Emily pointed at Morgan. "Stick with me kid."
"Kid? Don't give me your sorry ass crap Prentiss," Morgan fired back. Cruz winked at Hotch with a smile.
Aaron smiled at his team. "Thank you all for bringing me back down to earth."
Dave rubbed Aaron's back. "Aaron, I think your son and daughter are about to make one helluva difference in this world with the two foundations they've formed."
Hotch smiled at Dave. "That's what Zach said." Dave rubbed his back more. "And I cannot be more proud of them both right now."
"You should be Hotch," Tara smiled.
That afternoon, the team gathered again to watch the news conference. Alex Anthopoulos made his comments and then looked at Zach. Zach looked at the reporters. "Sorry folks, I need a timeout." He looked at Tay sitting in his lap. "Taylor, this is your toy," Zach said, waving the toy at her. He pointed at the mic in front of him. "That's daddy's toy." Taylor took her toy in one hand and tried to reach at the mic again with the other hand.
Zach shook his head. "She takes after her mother." Caleigh shook her head with a smile as Trev, sitting in her lap, happily chewing on his toy, babbled as well.
"Someone else thinks he has the mic," Caleigh smiled at Zach.
"Welcome to my world," Zach smiled. "I can't win at home. But I sure did with the Braves." He continued his comments, thanking the Braves organization for the contract extension. He and Alex then started taking questions.
Kevin Alpin, the Braves' reporter for the Atlanta radio sports station smiled at Zach and Anthopoulos, asking the third question. "Zach, does the new deal include a guarantee for a certain batboy?"
"Absolutely," Alex smiled. "That's the first thing Jose hammered us over the head for," he smiled at Compos.
Zach looked at the reporters. "They both have learned to fear the Hotchner glare." Caleigh laughed. A team in a room in Quantico laughed as well. "But Jack hasn't perfected dad's Hotchner glare and his contract only runs through the first five years."
Alpin looked at Zach with a smile. "OK. I'll bite."
Zach smiled. "Jack starts college in five years. No more batboy for him."
"Thank you Zach," Dave snarled.
"Rossi?" Morgan said.
"Bring it home Zach," Dave said. "Jack will be driving in three years."
"Beth and I thank you for that reminder," Aaron growled. The rest of team in the Round Table room snickered.
"Cob?" Alpin asked. "The Hotchner glare?"
Zach smiled. "That's an extended family inside joke." The group in the Round Table room snickered more. "Dad learned his infamous glare from Darth Vader. Those of us that know him are eternally gratefully that he hasn't joined the dark side of the Force to do the throat constriction."
Alpin shook his head with a smile. "May the Force be with you."
"With dad and his glare, it's needed. That's where Uncle Dave and his Yoda influence comes in," Zach smiled. Caleigh laughed more. Zach looked at the reporters. "Yes, it's that big of an inside family joke." The group in the Round Table room laughed along with the Braves' press contingent.
A certain lady in Lower Canaan, Ohio was watching the news conference as well with her sheriff husband. She tapped out a text to Caleigh.
Zach spot on with Jack and the glare. Crawling and beginning to teethe. Good luck! Hehehehehehe And Congrats! Luvs ya all!
Epilogue
Two weeks later, Garcia blew into the Bullpen as the team was enjoying their lunch. Derek and Emily were there. "Baby Girl?" Morgan said.
"Please whistle," Penelope said.
"Garcia?"
"Just do it," she said. "To get Hotch and Rossi down here."
"Hotch!" Morgan said. He and Dave came out of their offices.
Garcia looked at her tablet. The team feared the worst. A new case. Garcia looked at them. "Oh no, it's not what you think," she smiled.
Hotch and Rossi joined the group. "Sir," Garcia said, looking at Hotch, "I was on my lunch break and on my own electronics. So I was checking social media. But this news is just amazing!"
"Spit it out Mama," Morgan said.
"I follow the Gary Sinise Foundation on Facebook. They do amazing work supporting the military, first responders and their families."
"I saw something around the holidays last year on Twitter about his Foundation taking kids to Disney World," Tara said. "I follow him on Twitter."
"I saw that too," JJ added. "They were kids who had lost a parent serving in the military."
"They call it Snowball Express," Garcia smiled.
"They also do a Soaring Valor weekend for the last remaining survivors of World War II," Reid added. "The Foundation flies them to New Orleans to see the World War II Museum, teaming up each veteran with a high school student." JJ and Emily looked at him. "What? I do occasionally look at the internet." Emily shook her head.
"Gary does amazing work with his foundation," Rossi said.
"Gary?" Hotch asked.
"I met him when I was in SoCal writing my book after you pulled me in on the Tommy Yates case. We've stayed in touch."
"My favorite," Penelope smiled, "is their RISE program. The Foundation builds smart homes for service members that have lost limbs making the home accessible to handle their physical challenges."
"I was at the dedication for the one in Woodbridge a few years back for Lance Corporal Chad Dumont," Dave smiled, pointing at Garcia. The team looked at him. "Gary invited me. I got his Foundation to help support New Directions."
"Thank you Rossi," Emily smiled. Dave pointed at her.
Hotch looked at Garcia. "To the point."
Garcia smiled and pulled up the video on Facebook. Gary Sinise smiled. "I'm honored to be in Atlanta today to announce that the Gary Sinise Foundation has now teamed up with the HAND Foundation started and supported by Zach and Caleigh Hotchner and Andy and Victoria Minton." The two couples and their children were standing around him.
Dave rubbed Aaron's shoulder. "The kids are already paying it forward," he smiled.
"Thanks Garcia," Hotch smiled.
-00CM00-
Later that afternoon, after batting practice was completed at SunTrust Park for the Braves and Colorado Rockies, Zach, Andy and Gary Sinise stood at the edge of the tunnel going into the Braves' dugout. Zach and Andy were already in uniform along with Maddog, ready to head to the bullpen to get Andy warmed-up, being the starting pitcher. They watched Blooper, the Braves' mascot, playing catch with a girl around ten and her younger brother. The boy was wearing a replica of Zach's jersey. The girl was wearing Andy's jersey. A few feet in front of them, a desert camo uniformed member of the US Air Force was smiling at one of the Braves' PR reps.
The PR rep nodded at the soldier to go up the dugout steps as Blooper threw the ball over the kids' heads. The kids both turned to chase it. And saw the ball roll into the hands of their uniformed dad they hadn't seen since last September. Zach, Andy and Gary smiled at the happy reunion. "Thanks guys for letting me in on this," Sinise smiled.
"Oh there's more Gary," Andy smiled. "You might want to come out to the bullpen and warm-up with Cob and me." Sinise looked at him.
Zach smiled. "You and Master Sergeant Carpenter are throwing out the first ball tonight to Andy and me."
Greg Maddox rubbed Sinise's shoulder. "You do some damn good things with my boys."
Sinise smiled. "That's the plan."
Zach and Andy went up the steps to meet the family and sign some jerseys on their way to the bullpen. Andrea, the daughter looked at Zach in his full catcher gear with his catcher's mask pulled up on top of his safety helmet. "I'm a softball player. Fast pitch. I'm a pitcher."
Zach smiled. "Say no more."
He walked towards the outfield a bit, turned and then crouched into his catcher's stance, pulling his catcher's mask over his face. Andy winked at the girl. "Give him the heater," he smiled as Blooper handed her a ball.
XXXXX
A/N: The last scene, minus Maddog, Sinise or my FF peeps with the homecoming for dad with his kids happened last Friday night at SunTrust Park. I cried through the video. And had to include it.
Throwing out the first pitch is a baseball ceremonial thing to start a game. It's a tradition. YouTube Joe Mantegna doing it at Chicago Cubs' games.
If you do not know about the very amazing work the Gary Sinise Foundation does, please get to Google now. Gary Sinise and his support of the military with his Lt. Dan Band along with the work his foundation does is simply humbling. And if you are so inclined at the Foundation website, hit the contribute button. Or if you are a big Amazon buyer, you can support the Foundation through their "smile" program. Bottom line my friends – support this amazing man and his foundation's work.
I've known from the start of this FF series that I wanted to link up Zach with Gary and his foundation. Like I've told all of you time and time again, I've got a plan. A long-term writing plan. I finally checked off another box.
And set up another check off box story for later this year. :D
Thank you all for the reviews and the favorite and following alerts. You keep me going.
And you humble me.
*Knightly bow*