Mari & Ilna-seems like just yesterday we started planning this marathon. Can you believe it was almost a year ago? Time flies when you're having fun with really fantastic people.

REAL Worlders- Even though real life doesn't afford me the time I would need to fully respond to each review individually please know that every word is cherished and appreciated by me. You guys are the best.

Also-as you'll see in the end note … one of you came verrrrrrrry close to guessing Niblet's name and in fact a few people got the birth date spot on. The right guesses were from … oh wait … where would the fun in telling you that ahead of time be?

Energy Surge (1/1)

"You're kidding, right?" Steve stood perfectly still, towel around his waist, hands on hips, and stared at Catherine with utter disbelief. The minute he stepped out of the shower she greeted him with an idea so crazy he thought he must be hearing things.

"No, why would you think that?" she replied breezily as she turned and exited the bathroom as gracefully as was possible in her condition and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Maybe because yesterday you were too tired to do anything after we got home from the doctor's office," Steve reminded her as he followed her into the bedroom.

"That was yesterday," Catherine countered as she struggled to get her feet into the leg holes of the largest pair of maternity shorts she owned.

Steve stepped forward immediately to help. When he knelt in front of her she placed her hands on his cheeks and pinned him with a hopeful look.

"Please? I'm feeling a lot more energetic today and I just think it would be fun to call everyone up and see if they're interested in a last minute barbecue."

He took a deep breath.

All he wanted her to do was sit quietly and allow him to wait on her hand and foot until Niblet finally decided to make her entrance.

That didn't seem like too much to ask.

Danny kept telling him that once he became a father he was going to have to work on not giving in so easily.

He looked at Catherine's face and saw excitement and hope.

He was powerless against her pleading eyes and he knew it.

Once the baby arrived he was seriously going to have to work on not giving in.

But not today.

Today they were having an impromptu barbecue.

"Alright." He smiled. "I'm in. As long as you agree to relax and let me do all the work."

"If you insist." She kissed him gently. "Now let's make some phone calls."

"I'm he'we!" Joan squealed happily as she came into the kitchen where Steve and Catherine were assembling fruit kabobs for the party. One hand held contentedly to Grandma Ang's while the other clutched a large colorful lollipop. "Nice man gave me dis!"

"Because you're such a good girl." Grandma Ang beamed as Steve pulled out a chair at the kitchen table so she could take a seat.

"We stopped at Foodland to get the chicken and ground meat and Jirou insisted she take it." Mary smiled as she deposited several reusable grocery bags on the island.

Elizabeth grinned as she did the same. "He said it was her present for waiting so patiently for Niblet to arrive."

Joan's head swiveled around. "Nib-wet he'we?"

"Not yet, sweetie." Catherine smiled.

Joan addressed Catherine's tummy exactly as she had on Friday. "Huw-wy up Nib-wet!"

Catherine chuckled. "I hope she listens to you."

"There are a few cases of water and soda in the car," Elizabeth said. "I'll finish cutting the fruit if you could please grab those, Steve."

"No problem." He wiped his hands on a dishtowel. "Where are Joseph and Aaron?"

"They had a stop to make." Elizabeth purposely avoided making eye contact with her son-in-law. "They'll be along soon."

"Is everything ok?" Steve asked.

"Everything's fine," Elizabeth replied, still focused on the kabobs. "They'll be here soon."

Something strange was going on.

It wasn't like his mother in law to be evasive.

Steve knew there was no chance Grandma Ang would crack so instead he looked at Mary who, like Elizabeth, couldn't quite seem to meet his eyes. "Um … will you excuse me for a minute?" She pulled her phone out of her back pocket. "I have to make a call."

His gaze moved to Catherine whose slightly confused shrug told him she had no more idea what was going on than he did.

"Ok then." He shook his head. "I'll just go get those things from the car."

"I got to the deli just as they were getting ready to close," Danny said without preamble as he made his way onto the deck where Catherine, Grandma Ang and Joan were relaxing under one of the large umbrellas with Cammie laying at her human's feet. "Practically bought them out of pasta salad and coleslaw. Grace is helping Mary and Elizabeth put it in bowls."

Catherine started to push herself up. "I can give them a hand."

"They're fine." Danny waved her off.

"The least I can do is help them find the serving dishes."

"Please just sit there and relax," Danny implored her. "I don't think any of us want to see what your husband's reaction would be if he caught you working in the kitchen today."

"But the barbecue was my idea," Catherine argued. "I should at least help."

Danny arched his eyebrows. "I'm pretty sure I heard that Steve only agreed to this soiree after you promised you'd let him handle everything."

"He told you ..." Catherine sighed loudly and settled back down into her seat. "Of course he told you."

"He's remarkably forthcoming when he wants to be." Danny chuckled.

"Unca Danno, see my wowi-pop?" Joan asked from her seat beside Grandma Ang.

"That's pretty spectacular." Danny smiled. "Can I have a bite?"

Without hesitation Joan jumped down, crossed to where Danny was sitting and held out her colorful treat. Danny pretended to take a lick in an exaggerated fashion that made Joan giggle.

"Nib-wet not he-we yet," she said as Danny lifted her into his lap.

"I know." He nodded seriously. "That's because she's waiting until day after tomorrow so she can be born on my birthday."

"Dat right, Ann Caf?" Joan asked.

"That's what your Uncle Danno seems to think." Catherine sighed.

"Trust me," Danny grinned, "little Danielle and I have a connection … "

"They're not naming her Danielle." Grace repeated the oft-heard retort as she walked up beside her father.

"GWACE!" Joan held her arms up immediately.

"Hi, Joan!" Grace giggled as she tickled the youngster's tummy before turning to address Catherine. "Aunt Elizabeth said to tell you everything is under control and you're banished from the kitchen for the day."

Catherine tilted her head. "Is that so?"

"Yes, that's so," Steve said as carried two empty coolers onto the deck. "Your mom and I are tag teaming you."

"Aunt Elizabeth deputized me so I'm helping too." Grace's eyes sparkled with the excitement of being in on a plan with Steve and Elizabeth, two of her favorite people.

Catherine turned to her beloved grandmother. "You're on my side aren't you, Grandma Ang?"

"Always, my girl." Ang smiled softly. "But why not just relax today and let everyone else take care of things?"

Catherine stuck out her chin in a good-natured pout. "Dad will be on my side when he gets here."

"Where are your dad and Aaron?" Steve asked. "I thought they'd be here by now."

"Don't worry. They'll be here soon," Danny assured him.

"What do you know?" Steve moved closer until he was towering over his seated partner.

"Nothing," Danny scoffed in a voice that even he didn't find believable.

Steve looked at Catherine and grinned.

They'd found their limpy gazelle.

"If my father and Aaron are up to something … " Catherine started but was interrupted as the deck door opened and Jacob and Kaitlyn burst out to greet everyone followed by Dylan, Casey, Cody, Jess and Jenna.

Temporary reprieve for the gazelle.

Following a round of boisterous hellos, Cody and Jess headed to the garage to get ice for the coolers while Jenna helped Mary and Elizabeth in the kitchen and the other kids took care of festooning the deck with red, white and blue decorations they'd stopped to purchase on the way over. Crepe paper and balloons for the railings and a small flag centerpiece for each table. They'd also purchased patriotic themed plates, cups and plastic silverware.

After they were finished they headed to the back yard for a game of frisbee. Cammie, always eager to play, joined them for a few minutes then returned to Catherine's side. Instead of napping though she kept a sharp eye on the children. She may have been sticking close to her human's side in anticipation of a new arrival but that didn't mean she didn't still take her other duties very seriously.

"You feeling ok?" Steve asked as he placed a bowl of watermelon chunks on the table in front of her then leaned over and kissed Catherine gently on the lips.

She smiled as she reveled in the sound of happy conversation and children's laughter. "I feel great."

"Hey, I heard there was a party going on here," Chin said as he came around the side of the house with Leilani, Kono and Adam. Each of them was carry a foil covered aluminum pan or tray.

"Auntie sent some food." Kono laughed as she placed her pan on the counter of the outdoor kitchen.

"That's very sweet but she didn't have to do that," Catherine replied.

"Trust me, there was food there to feed a small army," Chin chimed in. "She was happy to send some over."

"This garlic shrimp is delicious and a little bit spicy." Leilani handed her pan to Steve. "They say sometimes spicy food can help bring on labor. Who knows … might be worth a try," she winked.

Kono lifted the edge of the foil on the pan in Adam's hands. "Auntie made sure to send some purple sweet potatoes since she remembers how much you liked the ones she made for you before."

Catherine clapped her hands excitedly. "Please make sure to thank her for me."

"You can attach a thank you note to the birth announcement," Chin teased. "Assuming Niblet decides to get a move on it."

Kono sat down next to Catherine. "Auntie said be patient. Babies come in their own time."

Catherine beamed. "Your auntie is a very wise woman."

Kamekona and Esther stepped onto the deck carrying two large pastry boxes full of dozens of cupcakes from the dessert truck.

"We brought dessert since we knew Kaitlyn wouldn't have time to whip anything up on such short notice," Esther explained. "Some of these are her recipes though so I hope we did them justice."

"Brah," Kamekona set the box he'd been carrying on the nearest table, "why is there a U-Haul truck backing through your yard?"

"What do you mean a U-Haul truck …" Steve's voice trailed off as the rear of the large truck appeared beside the deck. Before he could react, the cab came into view and he realized Joseph was driving and Aaron was in the passenger's seat. "What in the world …?"

Joseph put the truck in park, cut the engine and hopped out with a wide smile.

Steve helped Catherine out of her chair and together they walked to the edge of the deck.

"What's going on, Dad?" Catherine asked, her eyes glued to the truck.

"Well," Joseph grinned, "I know that we're all anxious for Niblet to get here so I thought it would be a good idea if we found a way to burn off a little excess energy."

"So, what's in the truck?" Steve asked.

Aaron rounded the vehicle and stood beside Joseph with a broad grin. "It might be better to just show you."

The air was thick with anticipation as everyone piled off the deck and stood behind the truck. Steve's mind was racing with possibilities.

"What are they up to?" he whispered to Catherine.

She shook her head. "Your guess is as good as mine."

As Joseph raised the liftgate, Jacob's eyes grew wide and he let out a squeal as high-pitched as any Jenna had ever heard from him. He froze momentarily from the shock then broke into a full body happy dance.

But his squeal wasn't the loudest one of the reveal.

That honor went to Dylan.

Who virtually exploded with excitement when he saw the contents of the back of the truck.

"GO KARTS! MOM! GO KARTS! LOOK! GO KARTS!"

"Wow!" Jenna replied cautiously.

"Remember when we were here for the baby shower and I said we'd definitely find time to go go-kart racing?" Aaron asked with an excited smile. "Surprise!"

Aaron and Joseph pulled down the truck's ramp and began to roll the go karts onto the beach as both the children and adults ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the four brightly colored machines.

Danny saw the worried look on Jenna's face and stepped up beside her. "It's perfectly safe. They rented these from a friend of mine."

"At the track there are safety walls and all sort of precautions." She bit her bottom lip. She didn't want to step on anyone's fun but she wasn't completely sure about this.

"There are seat belts and roll bars on every kart plus I made sure he sent over both adult and kid-sized helmets. I also asked my friend to send along some pedal blocks so the younger kids won't be able to get them up to top speed when they're driving."

Jenna relaxed slightly. Of course Danny would do everything he could to ensure safety. And these machines did look much safer than the ones she'd ridden as a girl.

"Ok now listen, anyone under the age of 18 needs an adult with them when they're driving. That's the deal," Joseph announced.

Jacob and Dylan were so excited at the thought of driving a real go-kart they were more than happy to agree.

"I called all the neighbors and cleared it with them," Mary said. "It might have helped that I told them all they could have a few turns themselves."

"What do you say, Steve? Wanna race?" Joseph asked, a twinkle in his eye. He knew a few hours of fun and competition would be the perfect way for Steve to burn off energy.

While Catherine, Elizabeth and Grandma Ang watched from the deck with Cammie the rest of the guests alternated between rides along the beach and shorter sprint races. Jenna's concerns that one of the younger kids might accidentally drive one of the karts into the ocean were quickly allayed when Jacob, Dylan and Kaitlin all proved to be fast learners and were handling the karts under the watchful eye of an adult passenger in no time. It took Casey a few tries to get the hang of things but once she did she was quick to challenge Cody to a race.

Joan took turns riding on the laps of the adults until she got bored and made her way to the deck to share a cupcake with Grandma Ang.

Danny couldn't help but notice the gleam in Grace's eye as she slid behind the wheel and his heart skipped a beat. He remembered the excitement he'd felt at the freedom his first set of wheels provided and he knew Grace would be experiencing that for herself soon.

Joseph stood back with a satisfied smile and watched Steve alternate between rides with the kids and races against Aaron, Danny and Cody. He even got in a few races himself.

It was all Catherine and Elizabeth could do to get them to break to eat and the second the dishes were cleaned up and the leftovers were in the refrigerator they were back at it. As they headed back towards the beach Dylan told everyone within earshot is was the BEST. DAY. EVER.

"Yes!" Jacob agreed.

By the time dusk started to creep in Jenna's anxiety had completely disappeared as all of her children, Kaitlyn included, were having the times of their lives and the go-karts had proved to be very safe. After initially hesitating, she'd climbed into one herself and had even teamed with Mary to make a very respectable showing in the boys vs girls relay races. Casey, meanwhile, was reveling in the fact that she'd beaten Cody in one of the last races of the night.

"This is really good practice for me since I'll be getting my permit soon," Grace smiled as she stood beside her father watching Joseph and Steve prepare to race.

Danny clasped his hand over his heart. "Let's not talk about that today."

But he knew the moment was getting closer.

As Catherine watched everyone laughing and joking and enjoying the day she rubbed her hand softly over her tummy.

"This is your family and the people who love you," she cooed softly. "Now how about you get out here and meet them."

THE END

The REAL World Baby Marathon is in full swing and we are positively GIDDY at how excited you all are!

We'll post a story a day through July 10th, and we promise Niblet will be born before then ;-)

In the meantime, feel free to continue sending guesses on the birth date and baby name for our REAL World Baby Pool. You can even change your guess if you want!

We can tell you that someone came verrrrrrry close guessing Niblet's name!

Leave your guesses in a review, send us an email (realmcroll ), post a comment here on our Tumblr page, or tweet Mari ( Mari21763) with the hashtag #REALMcRollBaby.

We can't wait to hear from you!