Author's note: This will be my first official time writing a Rugrats holiday story, I believe. Is it not rather hilarious that I have been writing since February of this year, yet this is my first time doing such a story and it's already July? I released this story a day before the actual holiday because surely, most of you would be out celebrating the Fourth of July. I know that I will not be on fanfiction that day. I shall be spending time with my family and having BBQ for dinner. Not sure what you guys will be doing, but I hope that it ends up being a good holiday for you. This story will end up having about ten chapters. It will surely have ended by July sixth or seventh and the first two chapters shall be uploaded today.

You'll notice that in this story, Didi and Stu have been arguing a lot. This is foreshadowing one of my future stories, just so you know. I won't tell you the plot, but you might be able to guess.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rugrats or its characters. They proudly belong to Nickelodeon and Klasky Csupo. I am just a fan writing for the series.

Another Fourth of July

Prologue

It had been about a week since Tommy's second birthday, and another important event would take place. This event was the Fourth of July.

Everyone who lived in Yucaipa knew about this certain date of celebration, and most people celebrated it. It seemed that the Pickles family was aware of this, since they threw a Fourth of July BBQ every year. This, of course, meant that they would be throwing a BBQ party this year, as well.

At the moment, though, it still was not the Fourth of July. Technically speaking, it was the thirtieth of June. It was rather early for such a day, though, as it were twelve in the morning.

Despite this, the Pickles' eldest son, Tommy, was awake on the couch, watching a Reptar movie with his eyes wide and a smile on his face. The boy had always had a love for Reptar. He was aware of the fact that he was awake way past his bedtime, although about four hours before, it had been announced that a repeat of the Reptar movie would be airing, and Tommy would hate to miss it.

Neither of Tommy's parents had realized that their two-year old son was awake, watching Reptar. He was five minutes into it so far, and he was enjoying it, which was why he wouldn't go off to bed yet. However, that wouldn't make him deny that he was tired. He had to keep his eyes from closing just about every two minutes.

His progenitors, however, had a reason for not realizing that he was still awake. It had been because they were attending to their younger son, Dil. Before they could put Tommy to bed, Dil began crying, seemingly having had a nightmare. Their first instinct was, of course, to forget about their son for the time being since they were so tired, and to deal with Dil's crying.

Tommy, meanwhile, had been enjoying an episode of the Reptar television series with his dog, Spike, next to him. He was cuddled up with both his Reptar doll and his dog. Why, if he could have, he would have made popcorn, too. Surely, however, his parents would then realize that he were still awake, and send him off to bed. Since this was a new Reptar episode, he didn't want that happening.

"Reptar," Tommy whispered while staring at the screen.

Even at two-years old, Tommy was sure that Reptar was his hero. After all, Reptar usually saved the day and he was indeed rather strong.

By the time that his younger brother had finally gone back to sleep, the show had just about ended and Tommy couldn't stand staying awake any longer. He refused to sleep on the carpet, because that would simply be uncomfortable. In addition to that, who would reject the chance of sleeping in a soft, warm, bed as opposed to the rough carpet?

Tommy couldn't speak yet, and his father had installed a lock on his crib. The toddler boy began crying, feeling that it was all that he could do. While crying, he accidentally changed the station to the news channel, which made him cry even harder.

"Oh, no," Didi said from the living room after she had the first few cries. "I forgot to put Tommy to bed."

"You forgot?" Stu asked. "I thought you put him to bed already!"

"Stu, this is no time for arguing," Didi groaned. "Tommy needs to get to bed, and soon. Come on, we'll have to look for him."

Her tired husband sighed, and nodded. The two walked around the house, looking for Tommy. Eventually, Didi managed to trace Tommy's crying to the living room.

"Stu! He's in here!" Didi shouted.

Sighing, the redheaded woman picked her older son up and comforted him, singing a quiet lullaby called "Brahms Lullaby." Yes, even at age two, lullabies still calmed her son down. He stopped crying.

However, as soon as he stopped crying, Dil started crying. Tommy, feeling upset about making his brother cry, joined. Why, they could be a chorus of criers with such voices!

Their mother, clearly tired and annoyed, felt like screaming. She had two baby boys in her arms, screaming rather loudly, and their father still hadn't come into the darn room!

"Stu, what the heck are you doing?" Didi complained.

She received no such response from her husband, and tried to sing a lullaby to her two children.

It seemed rather coincidental that as soon as she finished singing, her husband ran into the room, smiling.

"Ups, looks like ya got the kids to sleep on your own," Stu said with a rather guilty smile.

Didi, meanwhile, gave him a deadpan look and, without saying anything, handed him Tommy and Dil. Feeling that her work for the night was finished, she walked out of the room, looking pleased with herself.

"What? Deed? Deed, I can't get them to bed on their own! Deed!"

Realizing that he had lost whatever argument he had unknowingly gotten into, Stu glanced down at his two children. He was about to walk them into their room, until he heard the reporter on the television say something along the words of "fireworks banned."

"Fireworks banned?" Stu asked himself. "I have got to see this!"

Since Dil couldn't sit up all that well, he simply lay on his back while trying to figure out what his father was talking about. At twenty-four months, Tommy could sit up pretty well, and simply sat on his bottom.

Meanwhile, their father turned up the volume to the television set.

"I am Brady Simpson, and I had recently been told about fireworks and firecrackers being banned in all of California," The news reporter announced. "It is indeed a rather shocking discovery. We have had fireworks in California for quite some time."

Stu's eyes widened. "No fireworks? Then where is July the Fourth going?"

"Yes, Brady, fireworks being prohibited in California is rather amazing," Connie Simmons exclaimed. "However, the law has not been passed yet. With hope, it will be passed right before the Fourth of July, according to our town mayor. The idea had first been suggested about ten years ago, although this news was not released until three days ago…"

At this point, Stu muted and turned off the television set, and his two children sat there, annoyed and tired, just as their mother had been earlier.

"No fireworks," Stu mumbled to himself, having forgotten that his children were there. "What are they thinking?"

Tommy, fed up with his father, groaned. At this sound, Stu turned around and remembered that Tommy and Dil were still on the couch. Noticing this, he picked them both up, carrying them into their bedroom. He unlocked the crib and put them in, before locking it again. He sang them a quiet lullaby, and once he was sure that they were asleep, he left.

With that, Tommy and Dil had very, very, good dreams that night.