Accidents Happen

"Zacky, baby," I murmured, shaking my son slightly. "It's time to wake up, we are gonna go on a little trip." I rubbed my palm against his back and whispered to him, getting slightly louder with every word.

He rolled over on his back and looked up me with sleepy eyes. "Mommy, go away. It's not morning!" he said, pushing me away.

I laughed. "Zacky, it's 5 am! It is morning, baby." I tugged on his hands.

"But Mommy? Where's the sun?" he asked, pulling off his Bob The Builder blankets and sloshing to one of his windows, pointing as to prove a point.

"Oh Zack, he's just waking up. But we have to meet him at the airport. What do you say? Do you want to take a trip with me?" I smiled as he ruffled his hair that had been cut into a mini mohawk.

He ran to me, in a way that makes it obvious that even at five in the morning, a three year old has the energy of the sun. "What about Anna? Can she come?" Zacky questioned, sitting cross legged on his blue sheets.

I faltered. The truth was I hadn't thought of Annabelle or Louise, my bestfriend for a little over two years now. She was facing the same troubles as me, almost. Of course, her daughter Annabelle had been a year older then Zacky, and Anna's father had known about her, but had split the second he heard the word "baby". And in four years, hadn't been seen again. Louise's theory is that he had other children across the globe to support and didn't want to be tied down to number 83. In my book, he was just a scum bag.

"I'm afraid not, baby. Auntie Louise has work and I think she'd miss Anna very much if you took her to California with you!" I reached over and started tickling him, smiling when his laughter echoed through the house.

"Okay, okay! Mommy!" he shouted squirming around like a little worm.

I jumped up, leaving him alone suddenly. "Alright, lets get packing! We've got a ride on a giant airplane to catch!" I announced, picking him up like an airplane, and carrying him to the bath tub, all the while, he was making plane noises.

"Coming in for a landing!"

"Kaboom! You crashed me Mommy! Now I'm dead!" he screeched.

I chuckled. "Oh no! Resuscitation!" I leaned down and placed kisses all over his face.

"Mommy!"

After his bath I got him dressed, and packed before popping in his favorite movie, Land Before Time, and running back up the stairs to my bedroom to get ready. After showering, dressing, packing, and taking a lot of deep breaths. I was finally ready. I lugged everything including Zacky's suitcase down the horrible stairs, and placed them by the door.

"Zack? Baby, come on, we'll stop to get something to eat on the way to the airport." I murmured noticing my son, switch off the television and grab Gary, his spotted stuffed dog that I got him after I told him that he couldn't have a real one at this apartment.

"Mommy? Are you bringing the little t.v?" He asked while pulling his shoes on. "Because I mean, it's a long way to-. Where are we going?" I laughed, grabbing everything, and taking his hand in my other one.

"It's called California."

He thought it over as we made our way down more stairs in our building that wouldn't put in an elevator. "Where's California?" Zacky questioned as I loaded everything into the back of our car. He stood on the curb watching me with a confused expression on his face. His jade eyes, staring at me with an over powering amount of curiosity.

"It's on the other side of America," I exclaimed, trying to match my enthusiasm to his. His eyes widen and he looked as though he didn't know how to take the information.

"Why!?" he shouted sliding from the curb and into the backseat that I was ushering him into. He climbed into his carseat and I leaned in to buckle him up.

"I guess that's just where Superman put it," I explained, grinning at him.

"No Mommy!" he laughed, "Why are we going there?!"

I took a moment to think about my answer while I shut his door and slipped into the driver's seat. I then decided on the easiest answer. "I've got some old friends out there and they'd really like to meet you," I explained.

"They do?" he asked, "I don't know them." He frowned at me.

"But I told them about you and they're dying to meet you. I'm sure that you'll be plenty spoiled, don't worry Zack." I turned around in my seat and looked at my son, watching his meager worries slip away.

"Okay, mama, lets go," he said, pointing forward with his little finger.

We ended up stopping at McDonalds before our flight, since he hadn't mastered the art of eating in the car. I gave him just about anything he wanted to keep him distracted from the idea of flying. Honestly, I was worried about putting a three year old on a plane with other people. But I knew that Zacky was a good boy. He could handle it.

"Come here, Zacky. Mommy has got to call Auntie Louisa," I demanded an hour later, pulling the tired boy over to a set of airport chairs. We'd spent the morning going through airport security and checking in and making sure that our tickets were here. Valery had bought them like she said she would, and they were here in my name, waiting to take us back home.

I dialed my best friend's number from the uncomfortable blue chair, holding Zacky in his own with his other hand. She answered the phone after only a couple of rings. "Hey Louisa," I greeted, trying not to sound like the end of the world was happening around us, "How are you?"

"Maxx?" she asked, even though she knew it was me, "What's wrong?

"I'm at the airport," I said, cringing at her shocked response, "I changed my mind about going and we're getting ready to head out soon. I would really like to say goodbye and squeeze a little advice out of you, so it would mean a lot if you could come down here."

"Why the hell are you going to California?" she screamed in my ear, "You told me that you weren't going because you didn't have a good enough reason. I don't understand why you're suddenly boarding a plane to the other side of the country, Maxx. What's going on?"

"I can't explain it all on the phone," I said nervously, glancing at Zack beside me, "If you could just come down here, I'll tell you everything. I just need some moral support, Lou."

There was shuffling on the other end and I heard her yell for her daughter. "Alright, I'm coming, but I don't forgive you. You owe me a huge explanation," She answered firmly before she hung up on me. I slid my phone back into my pocket and took a deep breath. That act caught Zacky's attention and he turned to wordlessly stare at me.

I frowned, looking back at him and he did't falter, but he didn't speak either. I cracked after a tense minute of staring and asked, "Alright, what?"

"Is Anna coming?" he asked, swinging his legs over the edge of the chair, "Will I get to say goodbye before we go to Calisorya?"

I couldn't help but grin at him. I pulled him into my side and nodded. "Yeah, babe. She'll be here before we have to leave. Don't worry about it."

He leaned into my side and grabbed me tightly, practicing his bear hug. I was almost at eye level with him and I stuck my tongue out, watching as he grinned and did the same.

"Stop it," he giggled, shaking his head at my antics as it continued.

"Stop what?" I asked innocently, "I'm just waiting for Louisa and Anna to get here, Zachary."

"You lie," he retorted, scooting as far away from me as he could in his chair. He glared, his green eyes turning cold, and crossed his sleeve covered arms over his chest. I copied his posture and started to break down his resolve with sly glances. Every time he looked at me, I looked away, and he could barely keep his composure. He was practically laughing by the time our friends came through the gate.

"Maxx!" she yelled, darting across the waiting area with her daughter in her arms.

"I'm right here, Louisa!" I barked as she shuffled through a small group of confused people. I stood up and Zacky copied me. Louisa set Anna on her feet and the girl rocketed to Zacky, the two of them talking animatedly about the airport.

I stepped up to my friend and fiddled with my fingers. But she wasn't having it. She pulled me backwards until we were back at the chairs and she sat down, giving me a look that suggested I do the same. "Spill it, now," she demanded, arms crossed, "Where are you going and why the hell are you going there?"

"I started with the easier one. "We're going to California for a few day-"

"Why?" she cut me off, "You told me two days ago that you weren't going and that your old friend would just have to deal without you. Did she call again, is that why you've changed your mind? I didn't know that you broke so easily, Maxx, you sounded pretty adamant about not wanting to go back to California."

"I was going to tell you if you wouldn't interrupt me," I answered, giving her a look. We didn't have a lot of time to explain and I had to get to it quickly before I lost my nerve. I glanced at Zacky, two chairs down, engrossed in his own world.

Louisa made a point not to say anything else and motioned for me to go on with the explanation.

"You know that I moved from California a little over three years ago. A friend from back home called about a month ago and invited me home to visit. When I said no, she started begging and I finally cracked and told her about Zacky. She freaked out, but said she wouldn't tell the other one."

Louisa faltered. I'd never told her the story of Zacky. About either one to be exact. She knew the basics, but I never explained his father to her. "Wait, 'the other one'?" she repeated, frowning in conclusion, "Who's the other 'Zacky'?"

"Technically Zacky is," I told her, glancing at my dark haired son as he chatted quickly with his best friend. He was grinning, unaware of anything about to change.

"If Zack is number two, then who's the original?" she asked.

"His father is," I answered, stepping into territory we'd never spoke about before.

"What?" she repeated out of habit, "You're taking Zack to meet his father?" she whispered the last part harshly, "Don't you think you should think this over, Maxx? It's a big deal, you can't just drop a three year old on his doorstep with no explanation. Why didn't you ever tell me about this?"

This, again, was foreign territory. "I didn't want to go around announcing who Zack's father is," I answered, "I didn't even tell him. I didn't want it to somehow get back to him."

"How would he find out from the other side of the country?" she asked.

"Maybe because he has fans all over the world," I added, wondering why she wasn't piecing together the puzzle. There weren't many people called Zacky in the world, especially those from California with green eyes and dark hair.

She blanched. "You're not serious, Maxx."

"I am serious," I answered, watching the realization on her face, "My Zack is Zacky Baker's son."

"Shit," she cursed, mouth partially open, "Z is Zacky Vengeance's son? The Zacky Vengeance from Avenged Sevenfold?" She sat back in her chair like she might fall out of it and her eyes landed on the little boy. I could see that things made more sense to her now, but the way she looked at him was exactly what I was trying to avoid. He wasn't something special simply because of his bloodline. He was just a kid who's father had done something worthwhile with his life.

"We need to get going," I said as the intercom announced our flight information through the airport, "I'll be home in a few days. Don't get in too much trouble without me."

"Bring me home a souvenir," she answered, grinning in that way she did, "Perhaps a band member or something, I don't know." She stepped over and lifted her daughter from my son. "Have a safe trip, you two. Enjoy the airplane, Zack."

The boy took my hand and nodded. He was nervous about flying, but trying not to show it. I picked him up and we said goodbye to our friends one last time before heading through the gate to board the plane that would take us back to California.