Disclaimer: We do not own HSM, but we do own the kids! :)
A/N: The quads are smaller than an average 5 year old.
#Review ;)
Chapter 19: Flying With 11 Kids...
March 15th 2022
11 of the 12 Bolton children were stood in the porch outside waiting for their father to appear from inside the house. "DAD! Come one, we're getting cold." Lucille laughed at her grandchild, Chad's complaining. It amazed her how much they complained on a day to day basis over simple things.
"Go and get in the car then and be quiet." Troy yelled back before returning his attention back to his Wife and child, "So, are you going to be alright?" He asked running his hand through Hetty's brown curls.
Gabi nodded, "We'll be absolutely fine. Won't we cutie-pie?" She bounced Hetty on her hip and smiled at her while she laughed. "Don't worry - I'll call you every morning, your time, and I will call you immediately if anything happens."
Troy looked unsure but nodded "Hm. Ok be good princess, daddy will see you in two weeks." He said while kissing both his girls, picking up his backpack and walking out the house. Gabi laughed as she heard Troy ushering the kids into the van while she walked back the living room to watch a film with Hetty.
* Two Hours Later*
"Listen. I'm trying to drive, be quiet or the film will go off!" Troy bellowed from the steering wheel; the arguing over the purpose of a character started to get to him.
"But dad what is the point of Dory?" Annabelle asked in all seriousness.
Lucille saw her son curl his fists around the steering wheel so she decided to answer for him. "Because she's funny and it lightens the film up." A chorus of 'I told you' and 'Oh' went through the car. "Only 45 minutes son, don't get angry now or you'll ruin the trip!" She whispered to him as the kids in the back quietened down.
The next 15 minutes went by quickly but it was inevitable that the dreaded phrase would be brought up, and it was brought up by Ella-Grace - the youngest Bolton child. "Daddy. Me needs pee-pee."
Troy groaned outward and receive a slap from his mother. "What? She needs to pee every 10 minutes."
"The child has to use the restroom so we are stopping and going to use the restroom, look the services are there." Lucille pointed at the cluster of buildings gracing the countryside. "Just pull over!" Troy grunted and turned the van into the parking lot. "Ok. Ella toilet time. Anyone else need to go while we are here?" Multiple arms shot up and the 2 men in the car groaned.
"Seriously, they all need to pee?" Jack moaned to his wife. She shot him a look of disgust "Urgh ok, I'll stand outside the toilet with the finished ones." Troy whipped around "Oh son they are your kids!" Jack teased and Troy face grew into a large grin as he hopped out the drivers seat.
Walking through the parking lot and towards the toilet, Troy passed many people standing in shock and laughed at his large family. As they got around the corner towards the toilet the kids had started dispersing through the many toy aisles of the nearest store. "Guys, toilet only. We have a plane to catch." The 3 adults rounded up the kids and got them to the restrooms. "Logan, A, B and Kenna into the girls. Mom, can you take a Maebh into the girls?" Lucille nodded and the girls started filling through the tiny maze. "Come on boys." Troy grabbed the hands of Madi and Ella, the mischievous two and lead them to the boys.
They got to the start of the mini maze before both girls stopped. "Daddy we not going there, it smelly." Madi declared while Ella nodded in agreement.
Troy sighed, "If I give you a piece of candy will you come?" The girls eagerly nodded and took a piece each before slowly following their father into the men's toilets.
After a good 10 minutes everyone had completed their business, "Everyone good?" Troy asked his brood before they made the journey back to the car to finish the ride to the airport. A series of nods circulated. "Ok let's go." Within 20 minutes they were all settled back in the car and Finding Nemo was being screened again.
In the last half and hour, no noise was made apart from the film and when they arrived at the airport Troy turned around and saw why; his youngest children were all fast asleep. "Aw don't they look so cute." Lucille declared.
"Yeah, cute pain in the arses." Jack laughed soon followed by Troy. Both the men heard a noise and turned to Lucille who was shaking her heard, immediately they stopped laughing and made preparations to leave the warmth of the car. Lucille and Jack began unloading the children while Troy called his wife.
"Hey babe, all good?"
Yep. Hetty has just gone for a nap and I'm just watching Dancing With The Stars, you?
"All's good we have arrived only 2 toilet stops and the quads are all fast asleep." Troy laughed at Gabi's response "Don't worry it will happen to you too one day, glad to know you envy me. Any?" He asked finally.
Urm I believe 3 - all lasting for about a minute. It's been pretty good and she painted a picture for you. It's very ... abstract ..."
Gabi and Troy both laughed again. "Ok well I look forward to that. All the kids say love you and give a kiss to Hetty from me. I've got to go, bye baby."
Ok. Bye, have a nice flight and I'll call you tomorrow. Be safe love you!
Troy said his last goodbye and hung up before noticing Chad and Taylor walking up from their car "Hi. I'm so glad you could travel with us." Troy hugged his best friends and turned his attention to prying Ella-Grace who was the only one still sleeping, out of her car seat. The large family then walked into the airport terminal.
"Hi. What flight?" The check in assistant asked Troy who had his hands full juggling a sleeping Ella-Grace, 16 passports and his backpack.
"Urm. American to Albuquerque and we have 16 people, 5 adults and 11 kids."
The assistant looked up shocked. "Can you say it again please?"
Troy complied with her request "American to Albuquerque with 16 people, 5 adults and 11 kids." The assistant still looked confused. "11 kids." Troy repeated.
"Are they all one family? If not I need to see permission from parents to fly."
"Yep all brothers and sisters." Troy replied and the assistant looked even more shocked than before and he decided it was time to elaborate. "Freddie, 12, Logan, 10." As he went round to motioned to all the kids individually "Annabelle, Breelan, Chad, Joshua, McKenna, Cameron are all 6 and finally, Madison, Maebh and here is Ella-Grace who are 5. Sextuplets and Quadruplets!" Troy said proudly presenting the Passports to the woman behind the counter.
She nodded and went back to her work. "That's great, I bet they are all a handful." Troy laughed at her nervousness. "Your flight leaves in 2 hours at 10:35am, gate 7. Thank you for traveling with American and you can go through security over there." She pointed at the highly controlled area, Troy nodded and walked over with his family.
As the family arrived at the security area 3 large men with guns approached and asked for the boarding tickets and passports. Once they had looked through them, the guard called Chad opened up a new line for the Bolton's, "Hey take this one. It will be done faster." The adults all nodded and lead the kids over to the preparation area.
"Hey. Your name is Chad. My uncle's name is Chad and my name is Chad!" Security guard Chad laughed at Chad Bolton's excited comment and he also shook hands with Uncle Chad as the kids called him.
"Yeah. It's an awesome name isn't it!" Both Chad's nodded and fist bumped the muscled man. "Shoes, jackets, small bags and items in the trays. Large bags on their own." The guard announced to the group. Troy and Jack set to work removing shoes from the two rowdy and one sleeping 5 year olds while Lucille and Taylor were in-charge of collecting 11 coats and putting them into trays. As per usual Uncle Chad was stood playing with the kids.
"Little kids bags please." Lucille shouted over the chatter and she got swamped by six multi-coloured bags making their way to her. She placed them in a tray and then asked for 'the pair's' bags, "Freds and Lo bags please!". 'The Pair's' bags were too big to be put in a tray so they went by themselves. "Jack pass the babies bags." 3 identical pink bags were placed into another dull grey tray.
"One at a time. Lo and Freds you go after granddad ok." Troy told his eldest two. After they had passed through the sextuplets passed through with no-one getting stopped, then Lucille passed through getting a short stopped because she forgot to take her watch off amongst the chaos of getting the kids stuff in the trays. "Go to Nana girls." Troy told Madi and Maebh and they passed through with no problem. Then Chad and Taylor made their way through and helped Lucille organise the children at the other end. "Excuse me" Troy asked "This one is fast asleep and waking her will result in a huge hissy fit."
"That's fine sir, I understand - got a 3 year old!" The security guard laughed "You can carry her but extend your arms so she goes through and then your arms, and finally yourself." Troy nodded and proceed through the body scanner holding Ella an arms length away as she snored lightly. "Thank-you" He said when reaching the other side, security guard Chad nodded. And with that they were now ready to board their plane back home in an hour and a half.
"How longer till we can get on the plane." Breelan moaned while her sisters were engrossed in their new magazine that they purchased from the newspaper shop.
"Soon Bree. Go to the stall over there and buy a piece of candy for everyone except the babies." Breelan eagerly nodded and took the $20 note from her dad. She arrived back to her family holding 13 lollipops and handed the change back to her father "Can you give them out as well?" Again Breelan nodded and passed around the lollipops missing out her 3 youngest sisters.
"Hey. Daddy why we got none?" Madi asked from lying down under the seat.
"Because daddy doesn't want to deal with the aftermath of sugar and daddy also wants you three to sleep on the plane." Madi began moaning but soon got distracted when Ella-Grace screamed her name and walked on her bottom. "Ella. No screaming please. This is a quiet place; indoor voice." Ella laughed and patted her dad on the head but continued being loud and rambunctious. Troy rolled his eyes, I do hope they sleep! He thought.
"American flight A6689 to Albuquerque now boarding for passengers with young children only."
"Guys. Come on we are boarding now!" Troy called over the noise and gathered up the bags belonging to his kids. "Here girls hold your backpacks." He handed the pink, blue and purple backpacks to McKenna, Breelan and Annabelle - who all promptly took it and followed their Nana to the small queue of families forming at the gate entrance. "Guys I'll go after everyone. Dad can you pick up Ella so she doesn't run off?" Jack nodded and rugby tackled his granddaughter to pick her up. Ella's screams ringed in the ears of every nearby person, followed by her laughter. "Hey Maebh come her baby." Troy held his free hand out to his sobbing daughter.
"Ella has Elsa in her bag!" She blubbered.
"She doesn't; Elsa is in the big bags remember, so she can be safe." Maebh nodded in between her sobs. "Don't worry Ella's only teasing you." With that Troy followed his family down the ramp and onto the plane.
Troy and Maebh arrived at their seats to see Jack restraining Ella from hitting Joshua. "Geez. I only said I was sitting by the window away from the babies." Josh shrugged.
Troy shook his head and rolled his eyes, then handing Maebh to his mum to place her into her seat. "Ella. Come sit next to me and Kenna!" The screams coming from the small child began to get louder as Jack prized her away from Josh and over to her dad. As the plane began to fill up with more passengers Troy began ever more embarrassed. "ELLA!" He hissed "Now or you will stay at home when we go to Spain in the summer!" Her screams immediately stopped and she allowed Troy to do up her seatbelt. "Everyone ok?" Troy asked again while looking around at his distracted kids. Nods came from the adults on the ends of 3 of the rows.
They had selected the seating arrangements to make the littlest noise possible during the flight. They had 3 rows on each side of the isle, just behind the wings. Going from the front on the left was Uncle Chad sat next to strangers and directly behind him was Troy - who made full advantage of sitting behind Chad by ruffling his hair through-out the flight, next to Troy there was Ella in the middle and McKenna in the window seat. Behind Troy was Lucille with Maebh in the middle and Logan in the window seat. Over on the other side - opposite Chad was Taylor, Annabelle and Breelan. Anna and Bree had been 2 of Taylor's favourites since they were born. Behind them was Freddie, Chad and Cameron nestled between the adults on either side and finally at the back of the Bolton's cluster of seats was Jack on the isle, Madi and Josh.
The 1st hour had passed really slowly for the family, the quads hadn't fallen asleep much to Troy's dismay and were making so much noise Troy was sure almost everyone had a headache by now - he certainly did! Only 4 and a half more to get through He thought. Luckily for the adults the quads fell asleep in quick succession over the next hour and the rest of the kids were attached to the films they were watching. Over the quietness of the plane Troy dropped off and woke up 3 hours later with Ella's body snuggled on his lap. He watched his baby, the youngest, and couldn't help but look at her perfect features - Gabi's eyes, hair and face shape but with his colouring and figure. "Daddy." Troy turned around to the small sound. "I need the toilet." Maebh whispered over the seats.
"Oh I see Nanas asleep. Ok let me just get up." Troy detangled himself from Ella and undid his seatbelt. Once he stood up he grabbed Maebh from her seat and walked her down to the toilet to rid her of her full bladder.
Back in the middle of the plane, Lucille woke and and turned towards her row. "Omg. Jack where Maebh?"
Jack grunted and turned around "Troy took her to the toilet a few minutes ago." Lucille looked up the plane to see if she could see them; she couldn't but then felt a warm hand on her shoulder, she whipped around and saw Troy whispering something to Maebh who in turn was quietly chuckling.
"Here mom. We have 10 minutes before landing." Lucille nodded, took Maebh and placed her back in her seat while Troy retook his seat.
"Ladies and Gentlemen the seatbelt sign has been turned on and we will be landing in 7 minutes, the weather is hot and humid, it's approximately 1:50pm. Thank you and I hope you travel with American Airlines again, soon."