"Jerry, what are you doing?" Beth asked from her spot on the couch. Her husband had been peeking through the curtains for nearly 15 minutes.

After a brief shush he gestured her over to the window. "Come check out the new neighbors."

"New neighbors?"

Her attention completely torn from TV, Beth made her way over to her husband to join in on the nosiness. A rather large moving truck was parked in the driveway just across the street and low and behold there were the neighbors moving their stuff into their new home. The married couple murmured amongst themselves, secretly critiquing the various boxes and items and the family moving them.

"Oh that's a nice dresser."

"Hey, ships in a bottle"

"You think that's an antique?"

Across the street, a woman with short, wavy black hair stood in the doorway, and waved a young man over to help her move something, while a man with nicely-kept light brown hair was trying (and failing) to lift a worn old punching bag out of the truck. A short girl with long black hair stood in the yard and simply watched as he fell from the back of the truck and was trapped under the crushing weight of the bag. She wore an unfaltering expression on her face that was very uncaring as she casually grabbed the bag and drug it off of him, paying no mind to his pained whines as his skin was scraped between the bag and pavement.

"Sssss ouch," Jerry gave a sympathetic wince, watching the man rub his fresh scratches as he got up. After a few more minutes of spying on their neighbors, and not seeing anyone else, Beth chimed happily.

"Well this is nice. A mother, a father, a son, and a daughter. Just like us."

"Yeah except they don't have a science-raving alcoholic living in their garage."

"Nobody asked for the negativity, Jerry. I'm trying be optimistic here. You know how long it's been since we had new neighbors, and I think this might be a good opportunity for us and the kids. Let's go say hi," she proceeded towards the front door, but was quickly halted by a tug on her arm.

"W-what? Are you crazy? We can't just go say hi. We'd be coming on way too strong. We gotta wait things out, let them get all settled in, and then let them come to us," Jerry crossed his arms in confidence.

Beth gave him an apathetic stare that said really?

"I'm going to say hi," she blankly stated walking away from her husband, "Summer! Morty! Come downstairs, we're gonna go say hi to the new neighbors."

Beth proceeded to the door to the garage to fetch her father. She peeked her head in and could see sparks flying from some sort of alien gadget he was working on.

"Da-"

"I already heard what you said Beth, and the answer is no. I don't want to meet our crapass neighbors," Rick delivered his usual amount of bluntness.

"C'mon dad, please, I just want make a good first impression, with every member of the family. It's been so long since we had someone new in the neighborhood, and I think forming some new bonds could be good for all of us."

"Beth I-I-I'm a man of science, not hospitality. I-If I wanted to smile at people I don't know and pretend I give a shit about anything they do, I'd go get a job at Walmart."

Beth sighed in defeat and simply left Rick to whatever it is he was doing. Winning an argument against him was rare, and she didn't feel like this whole thing was worth it. She figured she could make a good enough impression without him.

"Hi," Beth greeted halfway across the street.

The short haired woman immediately straightened herself up and waved to the family proceeding toward her. "Hello," her voice was quite elegant, but seemed to have some strain behind it.

Beth reached her hand out for a handshake, which was gladly returned by the women before them. "I'm Beth. This is my husband Jerry, and our kids Morty and Summer. We live right across the street," she introduced as each one of her family members gave a small wave.

"Nice to meet all of you, I'm Candy," she presented herself before turning to call the rest of her family. They each proceeded out of the house and made their way over to her. The man from before, along with some new bandages on his arms and face, slung his arm around Candy's waist.

"This is my husband, Johnathan," Candy presented, "Our son, Drew and our daughter, Ash."

The kids definitely mimicked their parents in the looks department. Their daughter taking after her mother with the silky black hair and grey eyes, while their son took after his father with a tall frame and light brown hair. Drew gave a slight smile and wave over to Summer and Morty, but didn't really pay them much attention. Ash was a different story. She kept her glare piercing and stoic, making no attempt to interact with them. It gave Summer a queasy feeling and made Morty shrink internally.

"Well I figured we'd just come over and give you a nice welcome into the neighborhood."

"I hope were not coming on too strong or anything," Jerry said his hands up defensively, "Wouldn't want you to think we're weirdos or anything."

At that, Jonathan's expression changed to one of annoy. "Oh trust me, you're probably the least weird thing we've seen for a while."

And as if on cue an ear-shattering whir began to emit from their home as well as a blinding blue light that seemed to illuminate the entire house. Everyone in the yard instinctively covered their ears and squeezed their eyes shut, and as fast as it started it was over. It took a moment for everyone to correct themselves with their ears still ringing and their eyes adjusting back to the natural light of the sun.

"What the hell was that?" Summer asked a bit phased.

"Oh don't mind that," Candy gave a wave of her hand, "That's just my sister."

"Your sister!?" Beth asked now wide eyed.

"Yeah she's a… scientist. She does crazy experiments and builds weird gadgets and stuff all the time."

"And she doesn't care if any of her crap endangers our lives and or ruins our futures," Johnathan deadpanned.

"John!" Candy hissed through clenched teeth.

"Don't worry. Our family's pretty used to stuff like that," Morty assured.

"Really?" Their whole family said in unison.

"Oh yeah my dad pulls stuff like this all the time. He's a scientist too."

"Wow I didn't think we'd ever find someone that understands the crazy stuff we have to deal with on a daily basis."

"Maybe we can talk about it more at dinner tonight. That is if you'll come."

"That sounds lovely! We'll definitely be there," Candy clapped her hands together.

"Great, we'll see you then," Beth herded her family back towards the house.

"Oh this is so great. Our first night here and we've already been invited to dinner. What should we wear? Oooo we should bring a gift…"

Her voice trailed off as she headed towards the house, her husband trailing behind her, leaving their kids to stare at the family retreating across the street.

"You have a bad feeling about this too?" Drew looked down at his sister.

"I have a bad feeling about everything."

Hours later…

"Ash, Drew! You ready to go to dinner?" Candy called upstairs.

They both came downstairs dressed in white button up shirts and khaki pants and skirt. Both had less than pleased expressions on their face.

"You two look great," she said straightening the thin ribbon around Ash's shirt collar.

"I guess we're all ready to go."

"Wait! Just… hold on a second. I'm gonna go try to get her to come with us."

"Again? Candy, she said no the first three times what makes you think she'll change her mind now? Besides, why do you want to bring her? She's not exactly a social butterfly."

"She's my big sister, John. I'm not giving up on her," She said as she opened the door to the basement, "I promise I won't take long."

Candy had made this descent down the stairs three times already today, but this one felt the most unsettling. The old wooden steps let out an uneasy creak with each step she took on her way down. Upon reaching the bottom she looked around at what could be called the basement. The smell of cigarette smoke wilted the air. A metal work desk, littered with papers and all sorts of gizmos and tools, sat in the corner. Makeshift shelves were on every wall scattered with chemical-filled bottles, inventions, and… did something in that jar just blink? Wires of various girth snaked along the walls and across the floor, all going every which way, and in the very center of it all was a…a…well Candy wasn't really sure what it was. It seemed to be the base of some sort of vehicle and underneath it she could see her sister's legs sticking out.

"What?" Her voice was sharp and piercing.

"Just came to see if you'd changed your mind about the dinner."

"No. Leave."

She wasn't really surprised at her sister's coldness, but she was not going to be so easily deterred this time. "Are you sure? I mean the family across the street seems really nice. They even have a scientist of their own in their family."

With a fed up sigh of irritation Candy's sister pushed herself from under her current project to face her. She rubbed her temples in attempt to soothe the nerves her sister was direly working on

"I've got much better ways I could waste my time, but a dinner with the neighbors ain't one of them," she said turning away and walking over to her work desk.

"Oh c'mon just meet them."

"Candy, I didn't wanna meet this family. What makes you think I wanna meet that one!?"

"Fine… if that's how you want it" Candy said turning and walking ever so slowly to the stairs. "I'll leave you…alone…here…all by yourself…in the cold confines of our basement…alone…without anyone…to annoy you…or bother you…or pester you…or-"

"HOLY SHIT OK, I'M COMING! Just shut the fuck up!"

She stomped past her up the stairs in pure irritation, while Candy gave a small cheer of victory.

"I knew you'd come around."