Thanks for the reviews and thank you to everyone who is reading.

Chapter 14

Reaching the far end of the small airport Frank, Joe and the two boys emerged onto the tarmac where the private planes were kept.

"Stay close," Joe warned Jamie. The boy's eyes had lit up like Christmas trees when he saw the the small planes neatly lined up in the open hangars.

"Which one is ours?!" he asked excitedly.

Frank pointed to a small, sleek white plane with silver and blue stripes. "That one right over there."

"Awesome!"

Frank grinned and looked at his brother. "Why don't you get them settled in the plane. I have to file the flight plan and sign the contract. Should be there in ten minutes or so."

"Okay, troops, let's move out," Joe announced, guiding Jamie and Ford to the small plane.

When Frank arrived, Ford was sitting quietly behind the pilot's seat, belted in and ready to go. Jamie however, was sitting in the pilot's seat, his head practically swiveling from side to side as he tried to take in the multitude of knobs, buttons and dials.

Frank poked his head in the door and smiled. "I think you're in my seat."

"Aw, do I hafta move?" Jamie whined.

"If you want to get home you do," Joe pointed out. "Don't you want to see your mom and dad?"

"And Bingo!" Jamie scrambled into the seat behind Joe. "Don't forget Bingo!"

As Joe tried to get Jamie settled in and buckled up, the small boy twisted and turned, trying to get the best view over Joe's broad shoulders, thoroughly enthralled with Frank's every move as he began the pre-flight check.

"Man, it's like wrestling with an octopus," Joe muttered, finally getting into his own seat.

Frank chuckled softly, continuing to flip switches in methodical order.

Jamie strained as far forward as the seat belt would allow. "Whatcha doin?"

"Pre-flight check," Frank replied.

"What's that?"

"It's to make sure everything works the way it's supposed to," Joe answered.

"Oh." Jamie was silent for a moment but still hypnotized by Frank's seemingly synchronized movements. "How about now? What're you doin' now?"

"Still on the pre-flight check," Frank said. He quickly realized if he responded to all Jamie's questions, they'd never get off the ground and simply let the boy fire them off in rapid fire succession.

"What's that for?"

"Why'd you do that?"

"What's that light mean?"

"Why's that dial spinning?"

"How high can we go?"

"Are we gonna crash?"

That question caught Frank off guard, "No we're not going to crash!" he exclaimed, feeling as if his skills as a pilot had just been called into question.

"But what if we do?" Jamie pressed, his blue eyes huge at the thought.

"We won't."

"Are you sure we won't crash?"

"Yes, I'm sure!" Frank said emphatically, turning around to look the little boy in the eye.

"Then can I help fly?"

"No, you can't." Frank refocused on the front of the cockpit.

"Why not?" Jamie whined. "You're lettin' Joe help fly!"

"Joe has taken lessons… have you?"

Jamie flopped back against the seat, arms crossed over his chest and glared at Frank in reply.

Frank grinned at his brother. "I'll take that as a 'no'."

Jamie was sullenly quiet for a moment, but then sat bolt upright. "Well, if Joe has taken lessons, how come YOU get to fly?"

Joe nudged Frank, his eyes dancing with laughter. "Yeah, how come you get to fly?"

"You don't like to fly," Frank reminded him.

"True, but it's the principle of the thing," Joe teased.

Frank shook his head and then glanced back at Jamie. "Joe took lessons but he doesn't have a pilot's license; he's not allowed to fly by himself. He'd be breaking the law."

Jamie flopped back again, looking out the window. "Stupid law," he muttered darkly.

Joe, barely able to cover his amusement, glanced at Frank. "Want an aspirin?"

"How about a sedative – for him." Frank jerked his head towards Jamie.

After several more minutes of "What's this?" and "Why'd you do that?", Frank was finally able to taxi down the runway and soon they were airborne. The sun was just about to set, allowing just enough light to see the ground below fading away.

Jamie seemed to be in perpetual motion, twisting and turning in his seat, trying to see out all windows in every direction, still continuing to ask rapid-fire questions and wanting an explanation for every move Frank made.

"Man, could you turn him off. Pull his batteries… something!" Frank requested of his younger brother pleadingly.

As if sensing Frank's waning patience with the child, Ford put a hand on Jamie's arm. "Why don't you sit back and take a nap?"

Jamie looked at him in disbelief. "No!" he cried out as if Ford had asked him to jump out of the moving plane.

"Okay then, how about if I tell you a story?"

Joe turned in his seat in time to see Jamie light up. "Yes!" he agreed pumping a fist in the air, his smile growing wider when he saw Joe looking at him. "Ford tells GREAT stories!" he announced proudly, snuggling back into his seat and looking at his older brother expectantly.

"Once upon a time there were two brothers who had amazing super powers," Ford began.

"Ooh! Ooh! I know their names!" Jamie cried out.

"Okay, what were their names?"

"Joe and Frank!"

"How do ya like that?" Joe grinned, leaning towards Frank. "We have super powers now! I wonder what they are… I'm kinda partial to x-ray vision myself," he winked. "How about you?"

"I think I'd like to be able to see into the future." Frank waited a moment then added, "So I'd have plenty of warning when I have to bail you out of trouble."

"Ha, ha."

Less than five minutes later, the only sound in the small plane was the low drone of the engines.

Joe grinned. "Ah, just listen to that."

"What?" Frank asked puzzled. "I don't hear a thing."

"Exactly." Joe leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes with a contented sigh. "Blissful silence."

A few moments later, Frank glanced over his shoulder. Noting both Jamie and Ford were fast asleep, he broke the comfortable silence. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Joe said agreeably.

"Why was it so important to you that Jamie approve of Vanessa? I mean he's a seven-year-old kid you'll probably never see again. Why did it bother you so much that he got all bent out of shape about you getting married?"

Joe felt his face grow hot and knew he must've turned several shades of red. "Ego," he muttered.

"Huh?"

"Ego," Joe repeated, embarrassed. "Mine. Man, that kid thinks I walk on water! It's a pretty big head rush." He grinned and then shrugged. "I guess I just wasn't ready to take a tumble off that pedestal he put me on."

Frank chuckled and shook his head. "So you do understand it doesn't really matter what some kid thinks of Vanessa?"

"Ah, come on," Joe nudged his arm. "You have to admit it's a pretty cool feeling knowing someone thinks that highly of you, no matter what their age."

"I wouldn't know. No one has ever put me on a pedestal like that."

Joe turned and stared at him, arching an eyebrow. "Your kid brother has – still does on occasion."

This time it was Frank's turn to blush.