Chapter 2
All of the team, Hotch included, with their three week pounding, was out of the office by four that afternoon. They knew Section Chief Strauss would support it.
Aaron walked into his home to hear Jack and Zach down in Zach's room. He descended the steps, grabbing Jack that raced at him at lightning speed, with his older brother smiling. "Dad, how do I fold up a highly pressed dress shirt?" Hotch, with his tie opened at bit, and collar button undone, smiled at his son.
Setting Jack down, he grabbed his oldest son into a hug, released him, and them showed him his tricks of traveling light. Zach smiled. "Dad, do you know what is doing on?"
Aaron smiled at his oldest son, rubbing Jack's neck. "I've got an idea, but I'll leave that for Uncle Dave. You, my son, just have to get you s.h.i.t. together."
Jack just shook his head. "Dad, us guys already had this talk with you. Remember?" Aaron smiled at the memory and shook his head in the affirmative to his youngest son. "And I know how to spell," the first grader smiled. Aaron looked at Zach, shaking his head, as Zach smiled at his dad. Aaron helped Zach get his work go bag packed that Zach was using for the trip. Hotch reminded him of the little things he would need, like his meds. Zach smiled at his dad giving him the message all covered dad. Zach put into his backpack the things he would need. He stuffed in his laptop that Uncle Dave gave him, along with his iPod Shuffle, with his headphones and charger, cell phone charger, sunglasses and a large textbook from his Calculus class and a notebook.
Aaron smiled at the dedicated student his son was. "A pen or pencil might help," he smiled.
Zach looked his dad in eye. "Thanks; they're already in there, along with my calculator. Dad, please give me a hint."
"Zach, I'm sure it involves his platoon sergeant from the war in Vietnam, who's now homeless. He just needs some family with him son," Hotch smiled.
"And I got elected," Zach questioned.
"Yup son, you did," Hotch smiled at him. "But son, you'll be traveling in style. You know Uncle Dave."
Zach smiled at his dad, matching his. "You trying to tell me something dad?"
"Just enjoy the ride," Hotch smiled.
Zach engulfed Hotch into a huge hug. "Got it dad," he smiled. "And I'll be there for Uncle Dave."
Hotch rubbed the hair across Zach's chin that he groused about daily to his oldest son, smiling. "I'm glad Zach. He's spending more money on you boys, so if he says he needs some family, he's got it."
Zach smiled, knowing how his dad felt about Dave's overabundance of generosity. Hell, he thought, I feel the same way. "But dad, I'm getting more?"
Aaron smiled at his oldest son. "Zach, don't doubt this and run with it."
Zach eyed his dad. "You know more than you're letting on?"
Jack eyed him as well. "Yes I do. Zach, enjoy the time with Uncle Dave, and then Zach, write a paper that will make both of us proud."
"That's what is going to happen dad?" Jack questioned.
Aaron smiled, rubbing Jack's neck. "At the end of the weekend, yes son." Jack looked at him with a quizzed look on his face. "Be patient Jack and you'll understand."
Dave showed up at 15 minutes later, and parked his SUV behind Zach's truck in the garage with the door open. He grabbed his bag and brief case, and let Mudg out the back door. Mudg raced into the garage of his second home. Dave got to the door and opened it, letting Mudg race in. He followed and put his bags by the front door. "Where is everybody?" he shouted.
"Down here Dave," Hotch answered. He helped Zach zip up the bag and grabbed it as Zach grabbed his backpack. Mudg raced down the steps to be greeted by his bud Jack. Mudg responded by giving him a "kiss" along the ear.
"Mudg," Jack laughed. "You haven't been gone that long." It was true. The last three weeks, Mudg had slept more with Jack than he did in Dave's home. Dave got the next big hug from his pal. "Missed you Uncle Dave," the boy smiled sincerely, melting Dave's heart yet again.
"I missed you too, pal. And love you very much," he replied with a smile.
"Back at ya Uncle Dave," Jack smiled.
Rossi looked at Zach. "You ready?"
"Yeah, I just wish I knew what was going on," he said as he hugged Dave. They five of them went up the steps with Mudg happily wagging his tail and Hotch set Zach's bag next to Dave's. Zach put his backpack on the bench next to the door.
Dave handed the keys to his SUV to Hotch. Hotch took them as Zach gave them both a questioning look. Hotch looked at his oldest son. "Remember, you're traveling with Uncle Dave. And btw, you might want a set of keys to get into the house when you get home." Zach moved into the kitchen and grabbed his truck keys out of the basket that stored the family car keys. Haley had bought it for their old house.
Jack happened to look out the living room window. "Dad, a black car just pulled into the driveway," he said with a bit of concern.
Hotch smiled. "It's OK Jack. That's Zach's and Uncle Dave's ride to the airport."
Zach just looked at Dave. Dave winked at him and grabbed Jack, giving him a hug. "We'll be back home Sunday night to tuck you in," he smiled. "I love you."
"I love you too, Uncle Dave," the young Hotchner smiled and squeezed his arms around Dave's neck.
Hotch grabbed Zach and gave him a hug. He pulled back and looked into his son's eyes. "See you Sunday. Love you."
"Love ya too dad," Zach smiled. He grabbed Jack and gave him a big hug. "I'll miss you much."
"Miss you much too, Z-man," Jack said, giving his older brother his patented huge hug as well.
Hotch and Dave exchanged handshakes. "Take care of my son."
"I will," Dave promised. "And we'll keep in touch. I emailed you our flight information. You and Jack can follow the plane on a flight tracking site. Just Google it." Hotch nodded his head. Zach grabbed a coat off the hooks by the door, put it on and grabbed his bags. Dave did the same.
Zach looked back in the home as he headed out the door behind Dave. "Love you both," he smiled. Jack waved at him as Mudg barked a good-bye to the two of them.
"Take care son," Hotch said. He and Jack stood in the doorway as a man emerged from the car and took the two bags with clothes. He held them in one hand, while opening the back door for the two of them.
Dave looked at Zach. "You're younger than me; you climb over to the other side." Zach climbed in with his backpack, with Dave following him in. Once they were in, the driver shut the car door and placed the bags in the trunk. He got in and backed out of the driveway.
Jack frantically waved at the car, with the driver smiling and waving back. Hotch pulled him in and shut the door.
"Dad, Zach and Uncle Dave didn't wave back to me," he frowned.
"They couldn't see you Jack with the tinted windows." Jack looked at his dad with a question on his face. Aaron smiled. "Uncle Dave always has a car service that takes him to the airport. Think of it as a limo in a regular size car." Jack, living in the DC area, had seen his share of limos, including the President's that day of the softball game.
Jack smiled. "Got it dad." They both moved into the kitchen to fix dinner.
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The car pulled up to the VIP drop-off at Reagan International twenty minutes later. Dave had been unusually quiet on the trip to airport and Zach didn't press it, just enjoying the ride. The driver hopped out, opening the door for Dave. As he got out, an attendant at the curb opened the door for Zach. Zach climbed out and thanked him, reached for his wallet, and pulled out a five dollar bill, which he handed to man that Dave noticed. Dave took him and Zach's bags from the driver, and handed Zach his. He gave the driver a twenty and looked at Zach. Zach gave his Uncle his big ass grin. "I've got some game."
Dave smiled at him. "You've got more game than you think Zach." They walked into the airport, with Dave nudging Zach's arm. "You'll need this to get through security. And get your driver's license out.
Zach looked at the document and then Dave. "Uncle Dave, you do know I've never flown before, right? What is this?"
Rossi again smiled at him. "It's your boarding pass." Zach reached into his wallet, pulling out his driver's license, along with his FBI dependent ID. Between that, and Dave's FBI credentials, they moved through security quickly and Dave led Zach to the boarding gate of the plane. Zach looked at the boarding pass.
"Uncle Dave, it says the flight leaves at six." He knew it was after five, with the twenty minute ride from the house to the airport. "Aren't we late?"
"Not in my world," Dave smiled, guiding to them to their departure gate. Once there, Dave checked them in, using the line for first class passengers. Zach just looked at him, shaking his head. "Stick with me kid," he smiled. Less than ten minutes later, they were the first of four passengers that boarded the flight.
They stowed their bags into the overhead bin, along with Zach's coat and settled into the second row of first class seats on the right side of the plane. Dave let Zach sit by the window. Zach had followed his dad's advice and wore one of his long sleeved polo shirts, with his jeans and brown leather pull on loafers. Dave had to smile. Hotch didn't send his son out in his usual sneakers.
A flight attendant appeared and handed Dave a glass of scotch. "Welcome aboard Agent Rossi," she smiled. "Good to see you again." Looking at Zach, she asked with a smile, "Who's your traveling partner?"
"Jenn, this is my nephew, Zach Hotchner."
"Pleasure to meet you Zach," she smiled. "Anything I can get you?"
"Nice to meet you Jenn," Zach smiled. "A bottle of water," he questioned.
She smiled. "Coming right up." Zach just looked at Dave and shook his head. As the rest of passengers slowly filed on, Zach watched the baggage crew doing their jobs out the plane window. Dave texted Hotch that they had boarded.
As they continued the boarding process, Dave nudged Zach, engrossed in the baggage operation for the jet at the next gate. "Zach, we need to shut down our laptops." They both had needed to be at the desktop level to get through security. Dave reached for his brief case, as Zach pulled his out of his backpack. They shut them down and returned the bags under their seats.
Zach, having seen Dave text his dad, pulled his cell phone out and fired a quick message to his dad and Jack. Aaron, getting up from the nook table, just finishing his dinner, pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and shared the message with Jack. Dad, this is just amazing! They both smiled as he and Jack were cleaning up their dinner dishes. Zach sent the same message to Stan.
Dave looked at Zach. "If you're done, you might as well shut that down as well. FAA regs; no cell phones on during take-off." Zach powered his down as Dave did the same. Zach noticed the flight attendant shutting the plane door.
As the plane pulled away from the gate, they both, following the instruction of the flight crew, buckled their seatbelts. Dave handed his empty glass to the flight attendant as she walked past. "Zach," she smiled, "just tuck that in around you in your seat for take-off." Zach smiled his answer and followed her request.
As the plane finally made the turn for take-off, Zach was sitting forward in his seat, struggling to see all that was happening around him. Dave looked at him and gently pushed him into the back of the seat. "You'll handle the take-off better that way," Dave smiled at the rookie. He thought to himself with the baseball career in front of this kid, six years from now this will be old school for him. The plane sped down the runway.
As the plane lifted off from Reagan, Zach looked out the window, his head resting against the headrest, following Dave and turned his head to look at the sights of the Washington DC Mall that quickly passed by him as the plane rose. They settled in for the flight.
After they had been advised by the flight crew that use of electronic equipment was allowable, Zach whipped out his cell and turned it on. This is awesome Dad! The next one went to Pete Stanlovsky. Holy shit Stan! Dave smiled at him as the flight reached cruising altitude.
Less than twenty minutes later, the first class flight attendants began serving the meal to those passengers. Dave knew the size of the meal was not going to fill up the growing athlete sharing a seat row with him. But, of course, Dave had a plan. Zach wolfed down the pasta dish that would barely keep a bird alive by his standards, along with the small salad. Dave, loving this young man so much, handed him his dinner roll that came with the meal.
After they finished, and their meals cleared, Dave looked at Zach. "It's a five and a half hour flight to LAX. Yet, when we get there, it will only be 9:30. But I've got something to do, once we get there. Please, try and get some sleep Zach."
Zach smiled at him and pulled his iPod and headphones out of his backpack. The darking sky gave him not much to look at on the ground anyway. Dave showed him how to stretch the seat out, which Zach took advantage of. Headphones on, with iPod playing, Zach settled down.
Less than hour later, Dave noticed Zach moving and twitching his knees and immediately recognized the problem. Aaron had fought this battle for over two years since Haley died. Zach simply was growing too fast for his joints to keep up. It affected his knees and hips the most. Zach always slept with an extra blanket over those areas every night. That was the best advice Zach's doctor could give Hotch. Keep those areas warm, pump him full of ibuprofen when he has a painful episode and ride it out.
Dave waved at Jenn. She walked up. "Jenn, I need a couple blankets for him and some ibuprofen if you have it."
Jenn looked at him. "Dave, by law, we are not allowed to give any meds to passengers. What's going on?" Dave explained the situation. Jenn rubbed his shoulder. "I've got some in my purse; you won't tell on me, will you?" Dave quietly shook his head to the negative, with an appreciative smile. Jenn opened the overhead bin and pulled out two blankets, handing them to Dave. She came back less than five minutes later and covertly handed Dave the pills. "Do you really want to wake him," she questioned.
"I have to," Dave said. When Zach had first developed the problem, which was quite normal for teenage boys, especially athletes, he had helped Hotch through that difficult time watching his son hurting so badly. Hell, he thought, I hurted for the kid as well. He nudged Zach awoke and handed him the three pain relievers, per Dave's request to the flight attendant, knowing that was what Hotch gave him. Zach smiled, grabbed the pills and put them in his mouth and grabbed his water bottle to wash them down. "Settle back in," Dave smiled, putting the first blanket over Zach's hips and knees. He gently placed the second blanket completely covering Zach. Less than ten minutes later, Zach conked out again.
Dave checked on him twenty minutes later, after grabbing his own power nap. Zach was stretched out in the seat, quietly sleeping with his headphones around his ears. Jenn stopped by to check on them, and Dave silently nodded his head with a smile. Jenn reached up and shut both their overhead lights off, as Dave snuggled into some sleep for the rest of the flight as well.
The usual turbulence going over the Rockie Mountains woke Dave. The pilot put on the seatbelt sign, but Dave knew that Zach had stayed buckled in, as he did as well. He rode out the roughness, keeping an eye on Zach. He never moved. Once the seatbelt sign went off, Dave smiled and grabbed some more sleep for himself.
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Dave woke to Jenn shaking him out of his slumber. He looked at her. "We're beginning our descent into LAX," she smiled. She looked at Zach. "He might want to see it," she smiled with a wink. Dave smiled back at her, and gently woke his traveling partner.
As Zach woke, he looked at Dave smiling at him. He paused his iPod and pulled the headphones off his ears. "We're approaching LAX," he said. "Thought you might want to see it."
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A/N: Thank you all again for the luvs via reviews or following alerts. I'm overwhelmed by it! As always, if you have any questions about some things in my story, especially my wonderful, fantastic international followers, please drop me a PM. I try to anticipate them here with these A/N's, but sometimes I can overlook the obvious that it is my world.