Chase looked over at his sleeping son. "Rocky, we're here," he said, nudging his shoulder a bit. Rocky didn't budge. With a chuckle, Chase grabbed the iPad and notebook he had been clutching all the way there. He tried to remember what Zuma had told him about the plans as he looked them over. "I guess Ryder will know what they're talking about."

Rolling down the windows so Rocky could have fresh air, he made sure to lock the car before walking up the driveway. Ringing the doorbell, he waited patiently until Ryder greeted him. "Hello, Officer, nice to see you."

Chase beamed, happy to be called Officer once more. "Nice to see you too. Rocky's asleep in the car, but he wanted to show you these plans. He said it's very urgent."

Ryder chuckled, taking the notebook. "I know, I just got off the phone with Zuma."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he said he was worried Rocky would fall asleep and wouldn't be able to show me the plans. I know what this is all about. How is he?"

"Zuma? He's a trooper, he'll pull through."

"That I don't doubt. But, I meant Rocky. Was he really up all night?"

"According to the nurses, he was. Zuma tried to get him to drop everything until morning, but the kid wouldn't let it go."

"His determination is uncanny," Ryder said, stroking his chin as he flipped through the pages. "He'd do well in the accelerated program, no doubt, but..." He paused, a hint of worry striking his face.

"Ryder, sir?" Chase asked. "Is something wrong?"

"If he's this willing to work hard on a simple idea, who knows what he would do to finish a project or an essay. No doubt, he would excel at it, but, let's face it Chase, staying up all night isn't exactly healthy."

Chase nodded. He knew that from experience. Pushing memories aside, he looked back up at the principal. "What are you saying? He shouldn't do the program?"

"I didn't say that. What I mean is... perhaps he should wait another year or so. Let him become accustomed to being with you, Skye and the others. It's one thing to live with a new family, it's another to start new things at school and balance it all." He looked back at the plans. "But I'll definitely forward these to my friends. This could change the future of firefighting around the country, maybe even the world."

"Well, that's Rocky for you," Chase smiled. "I guess that's what he wants to do. Change the world. As far as the program, I'll tell him your concerns but ultimately I'll leave it up to him"

"He wasn't raised right, but you and Skye have definitely changed his outlook on life." Ryder placed his hand on Chase's shoulder and smiled as he stared into his eyes. "You're doing a great job."

Chase smiled back. He took a few steps forward to hug him. "Thanks." They held the hug for a few moments before pulling back. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I look forward to it," Ryder said. "Officer." He gave Chase a smirk before closing the door.

Walking back to the car, Chase saw that Rocky was still fast asleep. He shook his head. 'He keeps sleeping like that,' he thought, 'he'll be up all night.' He shook Rocky a bit roughly, enough to wake him up.

Startled, Rocky looked around in panic before meeting Chase's eyes. "Oh, hey Dad," he yawned. "Where are we?"

"I just gave Ryder the plans. He already talked to Zuma about them. He said he'll send them off."

"Oh," Rocky said. "I was hoping to tell him myself."

"I know, buddy, but don't worry about it." Rocky nodded, dozing off once more. "Hey, wake up. You sleep now and you'll be up all night, again."

"But I'm tired..." he whined. His head fell back as he fell asleep for the third time.

Chase thought for a moment. What could keep a kid awake for the rest of the day? Smiling, he turned the car back on, heading back home. Noticing Rocky snoring, Chase pulled out his phone to call Skye. He placed it on speaker, keeping his eyes on the road. "Hey honey. Listen, are the guys around? Great. I've got an idea..."

~~~

The weather was starting to cool down. The leaves had begun hanging color and falling. The first frost was near, but it was the perfect time of year to play their favorite sport.

Football.

After getting Rocky out of the car and into the house, Chase got him to take a few sips of coffee, hiding from Skye of course. "Here, drink this."

"What is it?" Rocky asked, his eyes drooping. He didn't really care, though. All he wanted was sleep. At first, he hated it, but it definitely did the trick. Soon, he was off and running with the ball. The teams were Rocky, Zuma and Rubble versus Skye, Marshall and Chase. Rocky didn't really know how to play, but the objective was simple: don't get caught.

A big grin never left his face as he was chased around the yard. He laughed as everyone failed to tag him and cheered when he reached the other end. "Touchdown!" he yelled. Rubble lifted him onto his shoulders and paraded him around, mocking the now losing team.

They continued the game for a few more minutes before Rocky's phone began ringing. "Dad? Can Scott come over and play?"

"I don't see why not," Chase said. "Skye?"

"Sure, sweetie, of course he can!"

Excitedly, Rocky told Scott to come on over. Conveniently, he lived just down the road and was there in minutes. The two continued the football game, Scott taking Skye's place. The boys were very competitive with each other, roughly tackling the adults to the ground. The adults, on the other hand, didn't want to hurt the two boys, but were just as rough with them.

By the time half-time came, everyone, except Scott and Rocky, were tired. "Food's ready!" Skye yelled.

"Awesome!" The boys yelled, rushing over. Chase, Marshall, Zuma and Rubble were collapsed on their backs, struggling to catch their breath. Skye shook her head, grabbed some water bottles and tossed them over.

"You guys eat up. It's a tie game and I don't think you want it to end that way." Skye sat back, sipping some lemonade as she watched them eat. The boys were done first and started throwing the football around, waiting patiently for the adults to come back to the game.

"So, I see our friend's doing much better," Scott said as he threw the ball.

Rocky fumbled a bit before catching it. "Zuma? Yeah, he's a tough guy." He threw the back.

Scott caught it. "Just like you."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Scott walked over and they both sat in the grass. "I saw your scars when we were changing for gym. Did your, uh, birth parents-"

"Yeah," Rocky whispered. He shivered, struggling to push the memory away. "What's that have to do with anything?"

"You went through all that, and here you are. You're happy, you've got a family that loves you." He playfully punched Rocky's arm. "You're a tough kid."

Rocky thought for a moment. Scott was right. Years of pure torture and he wasn't one bit hateful or mean like he'd seen other kids become. He used his pain to become a better person. He smiled. "Thanks."

Scott smiled. "Don't mention it." He took the ball from Rocky, giving him a mischievous smirk. "Tackle me if you can!" he yelled as he ran off.

Laughing, Rocky got up and chased after him. Everyone watch him with smiles. "He's a good kid, Scott," Marshall said.

"What's his story," Zuma asked. "He's really nice with Rocky, especially since he's older. What gives?"

"He's a really good kid," Chase said. "He got held back, but that wasn't his fault. His parents didn't think he was ready. That was years ago. Now, he's on the basketball team, aces his classes."

"They're like brothers," Skye noted. Rocky had just managed to tackle Scott. They rolled for a few moments before collapsing in a fit of laughter. Skye looked over at Chase, thinking for a moment. 'I'll ask him later,' she thought. Soon, the guys were feeling refreshed and up for round two of their football match.

"Boys! Let's go!" Rubble yelled.

~~~

Hours passed. Chase had taken Scott home after the game. Everyone was tired, except for Rocky. He was still feeling energized, even after football, tag, running competitions and more. "Come on, you lazy bums!" he urged. "Let's keep playing!"

"Honey, we need a break," Skye said.

"But, Mom, I'm bored!"

Skye noted a certain scent emanating from his mouth. She shot a glare at her husband, who simply grinned sheepishly. "In that case, your father will be happy to take you out somewhere."

"Wha-" He shut his mouth when she shot another glare at him. "Right..." He thought for a bit. It was starting to get dark out. Where could Rocky run around safely, under Chase's watchful eye? "Come on, Rocky. Let's go to the park." Excitedly, Rocky sped past them both and ran to the car.

"You gave our twelve year old coffee?" Skye hissed. "Are you insane?"

"He only took a few sips, just enough to wake him up a little." He turned to Marshall. "That won't hurt him, right?"

"That explains why whenever he tackled me, I could feel his heartbeat through his shirt," Marshall laughed. "No, it shouldn't be a big problem. He'll probably crash at some point, though." Chase shrugged, grabbing his keys.

"I guess we'll be back when he's exhausted," he yelled over his shoulder. He shut the door behind him. Skye huffed, walking back to the sofa. Rubble and Zuma made room for her on the sofa while Marshall stood by he window. They were all watching the news.

"Dave & Margaret Wallace have been sentenced to ten and seven years, respectively, for abusing their own son, whose name we're not disclosing as per requested by his new adoptive parents. Just so our viewers know, he's in good hands."

"They deserve more," Skye suddenly muttered. "One year for every time they laid a finger on him..."

"Skye," Rubble said in a hushed tone. "It's over. They're gone and they'll never touch or see Rocky again."

"Speaking of Rocky," Marshall said. "They're back." He opened the door for Chase. Chase walked in slowly, carrying a sleeping Rocky in his arms.

"He fell asleep on the way there," he whispered. Skye stood up, walked down the hall and opened Rocky's bedroom door. "Hey, Rocky, buddy, wake up..." Chase said, sitting him up on the bed. "You have to shower before bed."

"O-" he yawned. "Okay..." He reached down to lift his shirt and fell back on his bed. Chase and Skye chuckled. Chase reached down, lifting his shirt over his head.

"I'll go start the shower," Skye said, leaving the two.

As Chase tossed the shirt into the hamper, he noticed his stomach was still discolored from his previous abuse. He had scarring on his shoulders, likely scratches, or worse. He felt his eyes well up with tears and forced himself to look away. Rocky stirred, making little sounds as he turned in bed. He looked up at Chase with curious eyes.

"H-Hey, Rocky," Chase managed to say. "Skye's got the shower ready for you."

"Are you okay, Dad?" Chase's heart jumped, still not use to hearing him say that.

"I-I'm fine," Chase lied. "Just- just go wash up, you smell worse that Rubble." Rocky laughed, forcing a smile from Chase. The laugh of his son was precious and he was proud to be one of the people in his young life to bring a sense of positivity to him. Rocky grabbed a few clothes and his towel and walked off towards the bathroom.

Skye came back in, looking for Chase. "Everything alright?" she asked him.

"His scars," Chase gulped. "They'll never go away, will they?"

She frowned, taking his hand into hers. "'A scar means the hurt is over, the wound is closed and healed, done with.'"

Chase's brow furrowed. He thought for a moment before looking down at her. "Who said that?"

"Harry Crews," Skye said. "You really should've paid more attention in school."

"Good thing I married you," he said, kissing her cheek. "You always know how to cheer me up."

"You and I both know we need each other. Rocky needs us. Whatever happened in the past is history. This," she gestured around Rocky's room. "This is our future." They hugged each other tightly.

An alarm began ringing around the firehouse. Skye quickly got up, rushing down the hall. Chase rushed to the bathroom, pounding hard on the door. "Rocky, get out of there!"

"What's going on?" Skye asked. Marshall opened the fireman's pole hatch. Smoke billowed from down below.

"Extinguisher!" Marshall yelled. Rubble handed it to him while Zuma opened the door. Marshall slid swiftly down the pole into the dark and smoky room.

To be continued...