A/N: Modern AU and Pre-Baby Kelly

"Can I take this off now?"

"Hold your horses, Kelly!"

"Hey, you'se a Kelly now too ya know."

"…Shut up."

Katherine guided her husband out to the driveway and Davey gave her a thumbs up. "OK, take it off!" Katherine said giddily. It'd been almost four or five months since Katherine and Jack got married, and it was Jack's birthday today, so Katherine decided to give him and extra special birthday present.

Jack took off the blindfold and stared in confusion at the sight. "Ace, why is there a van in the driveway?"

"We're going on a road trip for your birthday!" Katherine announced happily. "Where?" Jack asked, but a smile slowly creeped onto his face. "Where do you think?" Katherine asked. "Santa Fe?" Jack wondered. Katherine nodded and Jack grinned wrapping his arms around his wife's waist and kissing her. They separated after the boys began shouting, "EW!" and "NOT IN PUBLIC!" at them.

After the couple got packed, Katherine and Jack climbed into the van and Jack shouted, "Everyone ready?"

Various responses flew back, but Jack took it as a 'ready', and began the van and got on the road.

After about thirty minutes of 'silence' the boys began a game of 'Punch Buggy'. They'd made it out of New York by the time Jack put a stop to it because Buttons somehow got a black eye because of it.

"So where's this hotel?" Davey asked. "Ace? Jack asked. "Somewhere in Ohio. I have the directions on my phone," Katherine explained. Davey began to reply when Les asked, "Jack, can we take a pit stop?" "Why? We just got on the road," Jack said. "I have to go to the bathroom," Les said quietly. "You went before we left!" Davey said. "I have to go too," Romeo announced. "Me too!" Buttons shouted.

Jack groaned but pulled over at the next gas station they found. All the boys plus Katherine piled out and into 7/11. While some of the boys raided the slushie machine, others found some snacks while others ran to the bathroom.

After twenty minutes, Jack, Davey, and Katherine rounded the boys back into the van and got back on the road.

"Crutchie, look at thi- Crutchie?" Henry asked. When he'd turned towards the crippled boy, he wasn't there. "Hey, is Crutchie back there?" Henry asked turning around in his seat. Mush, being the only one that heard Henry, scanned the boys before shaking his head. "Jack, where's Crutchie?" Henry called to the front.

"What do you mean where's Crutchie? He's next to Les, right Les?" Jack asked. Les looked at the empty spot next to him. "Uh, no," Les said slowly. Jack turned around in his seat, making Katherine grab the steering wheel. "Then where is he?" Jack asked. "I'll call him," Davey said, pulling out his phone.

The boys waited anxiously as Davey talked to Crutchie. "Crutch? Where are you? We turned around and you weren- we what? Whoa, slow down. What do you mean? Okay, okay! We're turning back. Kay, see you soon," Davey said. He hung up. "Um, we left Crutchie at 7/11," Davey said. Jack groaned and turned around.

"Where is he?" Jack asked as they pulled back into 7/11. "There!" Mush shouted, pointing. Crutchie was walking towards them, munching on those Flamin' Hot Cheetos that he loved so dearly. "Sorry, Crutch," Jack said when the crippled boy climbed in.

"Eh, it's fine," he said, waving it off. "What'd you do, buy the entire stock of Flamin' Hot Cheetos?" Henry asked, looking at Crutchie's armful of snacks. "No! I left two or three," Crutchie said. Jack rolled his eyes before chuckling.

They got back on the road somehow made it to the hotel in one piece. "This is the hotel?" Specs asked as Jack pulled in. "This is a dump!" Race exclaimed. "Hey, lay off! It's the best I could find on our budget!" Jack defended.

Jack and Katherine got everyone checked in, the split the boys up into the rooms. "Race, your room has Finch, Romeo, Crutchie, and Buttons. Specs, you've got Elmer, Albert, Henry, and Jojo. Davey, you've got Les, Mush, and Sniper. Ace, you and I are together," Jack explained. "Hey, why didn't Swift come?" Katherine asked as everyone headed to their rooms.

"I don't know. Something about wanting to go visit Smalls and Spot," Jack said.

"Psst! Finchie! Psst! Psst!"

Race smacked his brother with a pillow, making Finch give a small shriek and fall out of the bed. "Please tell me there's a good reason you woke me up, Racetrack," Finch mumbled from the ground. "Let's play a prank on da others!" Race whispered. "What kind of prank?" Finch asked cautiously.

Race grinned and whispered his plan to Finch, who quickly agreed and woke up the other boys, just much gentler than he was woken. Crutchie, Romeo, and Buttons agreed to the plan and the boys got to work.

"Race, I'm starting to think this is a bad idea," Crutchie said. "Me too, Race. Do you even know where to put that thing?" Romeo said. Race grumbled and said, "Of course I know where to put it! Crutch, give me the tape." Crutchie hesitated before passing the duct tape to Racetrack, who grinned.

"Where'd Finch and Buttons go?" Romeo asked. "Getting the other prank set up," Race said. After a moment, he said, "And, done!"

Buttons and Finch came running out of Specs' group's room, grinning. "Is it set up?" Race grinned. The boys nodded, fist bumping each other. "Now, we wait," Race grinned.

A/N: This'll be a two-parter and the second one will most likely be the last chapter before Baby Kelly's arrival. I'll try to get the next part to this up by either tomorrow or the next day. JTTFN!