The Bodyguard

PROLOGUE

It was the beginning of a long week for three brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zachary Hanson. The beginning of their weeks usually started off with a couple of photo-shoots, then interviews, which lead right up to television appearances, radio shows, live performances – the whole deal. That was what being famous was about. It was tiring, but the they loved it. So life was full of hotels, plane trips across the globe, constant harassment from the press, being stalked by teenage girls – they wouldn’t give it up for anything – it wasn’t for the money, for the love of getting to travel. It was for the music. Everything was for the music.

However the three boys, aged seventeen, fourteen and twelve were totally exhausted before they’d even made it to the airport, it seemed just relaxing for the past two weeks had been exhausting. Actually, the boys were hoping getting back to their tiring lives would wake them up a little!

Zachary Hanson – the youngest of the brothers – climbed out of the white van his parents owned (Zac affectionately knew the van as ‘The Hanson Mobile’). He pulled his backpack onto his left shoulder, and kept a tight hold of it, with the other hand he swept back his shiny golden hair, smiling broadly to himself. Zac found it easy to smile at anything – a bright and playful preteen he was with a love of adventure, excitement and the just plain goofy.

"Do you suppose we could just get through this quickly, find our bodyguard and hopefully not lose anyone in the airport?" Taylor asked of his father, folding his arms, a half smile playing over his delicate pink lips.

"Uh…that’s probably gonna be impossible," Taylor’s older brother Isaac grinned, grabbing their youngest brother Mackenzie by the back of his dungarees and pulling him back before he could make a run for the entrance.

Walker Hanson – their father sighed. "This is the part I hate the most – moving the luggage…"

"Imagine all the luggage there would be if me and the kids were going as well," Diana smiled, but she patted her belly, she was about to give birth any day now.

"Dad, we’ll meet you inside—" Zac was in the mood to avoid having to carry luggage.

"No, Zac…stay here and help me…" Walker commanded.

Getting through this tradition of trailing ten bags of luggage into the airport, trying to get Mackenzie to stay with them, and trying to stop Jessica and Avery arguing about who was the best dancer – it got old. But they somehow managed and soon, while their mother was getting her sons luggage through, while the boys and their father went to see about finding their new bodyguard who would be handling their public protection while their personal bodyguard Jason Browning was taken down with food poisoning.

"I think that could be him," Taylor pointed out to a guy standing near the glass wall of the airport which stared out onto the runway, planes were coming in and out. The guy was around six foot seven or eight, with jet black hair, kept short and neat, he wore a suit which covered up a reasonable multitude of his obvious bulk. He was wearing a pair of black sunglasses, and he was holding his hands together as he stood still looking at the once place.

"He kind of stands out, doesn’t he?" Isaac snickered, everyone here in a suit didn’t seem as stiff or as secret-agent type as this guy.

"Yeah, he looks like an FBI agent or something…" Taylor admitted seriously.

Zac stifled his laugh, then calmed down for a moment, then let out a burst of "Here come the men in black," he pointed to the guy who was wearing the plain black suit, he cracked up. Using Will Smith’s song to totally make fun of the guy was cool.

"Okay, okay," Walker rolled his eyes at his sons sense of humour and he began to urge them forward.

"Hi, I’m Walker Hanson, are you the bodyguard arranged for my sons?"

"Hello," the guy shifted his feet apart, reached out his hand and shook Walker’s hand in a firm way, the look on Walker’s face as the guy gripped his hand was enough to speak out the word ‘ouch’. "I’m Don Jacobson," the guy continued, then he got out some ID and papers just to show he was who he said he was, the Hanson’s had to be extra careful these days.

"Everything seems appropriate here," Walker said, handing back the ID. "These are my sons, Isaac, Taylor and Zachary, they’re the ones you’re hired to protect at all costs," he explained.

"Hi," Don said to the three.

"Don’t be offended if we don’t shake your hand," Isaac said with a slight smile, "But I think you nearly just broke my dads fingers off…"

"Yeah, strong grip," Walker shook his hand to release some of the pain.

"Sorry," Don said, but he smiled in a reserved way.

"So…uh….I bet you always ate your porridge when you were a kid…" Zac said, looking up at the guy who was way taller than anyone he’d ever met yet. "Or are you just on stilts," he giggled.

"Zac, don’t make fun of the guy," Walker warned.

Zac smiled to himself. "Sorry," he grumbled, but kept smiling.

Don looked down at Zac. "You obviously aren’t eating your porridge," he said with a smile.

Zac stopped smiling, he was rather sensitive about his height – mostly because his brothers were both a lot nearer six feet than he was – he was only five foot two, which he felt was small even for his age. Zac pouted then frowned.

"I’m kidding," Don slapped Zac on the shoulder in a playful way, his big meaty hand nearly sent Zac into the ground like a hammer to a nail!

"Whoah, you’re strong," Zac said, rubbing his shoulder.

"In this game you have to be," Don admitted with a reassuring smile, "so you guys all excited about going to Scotland?" he asked.

"Well…" Zac began, but Taylor interrupted.

"We love Scotland…" Taylor began.

"We’ve never been there," Isaac continued after Taylor. "But we think it looks cool…"

"We seen Braveheart like a dozen times!" Zac chirped cheerfully.

"Mel Gibson – good movie," Don agreed.

"Its our fave…" Zac smiled, then attempted a Scottish accent saying "You will never take oor freedom…"

Don laughed at the twelve-year-olds attempt at a Scottish accent.

"Okay, boys, lets go say goodbye to your mother, and the kids…" Walker said to his sons. "Don, we’ll see you on the plane."

"Right-e-o, Mr. Hanson."

Walker took his sons along to where they’d left Mrs. Hanson. "Well, we found the bodyguard…" he said to his wife.

"Is he big?" Jessica asked.

"Majorly big – he’s like seven feet tall," Zac slightly exaggerated. "Well…maybe six foot seven…" he trailed off.

Diana Hanson looked at Zachary. "You behave while you’re in Scotland," she said, she reached over to hug him with difficulty considering she had this huge bulge in front of her.

"Okay, mom…" Zac nodded – but didn’t plan on behaving really. He grinned and his mother knew it.

"Isaac – for god sake, don’t go getting into fights with anyone down there…"

"Mom, since when have you known me to get fights with anyone?" Isaac asked, a half smile playing his lips.

"Just a warning…" Diana said. "Someone at the supermarket told me her son went down there, got in a big fight, and ended up with a broken bottle twisted into his stomach – lucky he lived but—"

"We have a bodyguard mom," Taylor reminded, he kissed his mothers cheek. "Bye mom, we’ll miss you, take care and don’t let Jess, Avie and Mac stress you out…" he smiled, looked down at Mac and ruffled the blonde four year olds hair playfully. "Be good," he warned the three year old.

"I will," Mackenzie promised, nodding.

"See ya later," Zac never hugged his sisters, because he felt it was mushy, he hated that, he did however pat their shoulders as he said goodbye.

"Yeah, bye," Jessica said shrugging boredly.

"Jessie," Isaac motioned for the nine year old to come over, and he knelt before her. "Take care of mom, okay?" he asked, and he quickly pushed a rolled up five dollar bill into her tiny hand paying for the request.

"Of course I will," Jessica smiled at the money in her hand.

"And lay off Avery," Isaac added. "See you when we get back," he gave his sister a quick hug and then hugged Avery afterwords. "And you be good," he told Avery, he hugged Mackenzie, who returned the hug with equal affection.

"Bring me a present," commanded Mac when he moved back from Isaac.

They all laughed, and Isaac stood up. "Okay," he said, he leaned over and hugged his mother, "See you when we get back on Friday," he said.

Walker moved over to his wife and gave her affection kiss on the cheek.

She stared at him. "What the heck was that?! I'm carrying your seventh child and a kiss on the cheek is all I get?" she asked.

"Not in front of the little ones, Di…" Walker blushed a little.

Diana rolled her eyes, but pulled her husband in for a loving kiss on the lips.

"Aw, no…" Zac slapped his forehead. "Stop the mushy stuff already!"

Everyone laughed again, Diana shoved Zac playfully.

Walker hugged Diana, and then moved back. "Love you," he said.

"Love you back," she grinned, patted his chest, and then let him go.

After the goodbyes were all made, the Hanson boys made their way onto the plane accompanied by their father – ready for another busy week ahead.