Saving the Ducks
A/N: My son inspired this story. He jumped into our tub fully clothed because he has this fear that his toy will go down the drain, and his mission was to save his rubber ducky. And this story was born. For you buggy!
"Hold still Jeffery! Emmett, come back here!" thirteen year old Grace called after her little brothers. "Henry, please help!" she pleaded to her step-brother.
"What's the matter?" he replied from the the next room.
"We have to be ready soon, and I can't catch them both!" she cried. He smirked.
"Alright, I've got Emmett," he said, and chased his little brother down. For a pair of three year old's they could really move. Finally they got them still long enough to wrestle them into their dress clothes. It was the boys' birthday, and they were expected to be dressed and ready in just a few minutes.
"I'm so not having kids!" she declared, and Henry laughed.
"You'll change your mind one day," he predicted. Grace shook her head.
"No, I won't. I'm taking a vow of celibacy," she said, and Henry laughed at his step-sister.
"Don't wanna wear this Gwacie! It itches!" Jeffery whined, pulling at his collar.
"I'm hot Henwy, don make me wear this stupid suit!" Emmett echoed his twin's whine, tears forming in his big blue eyes. "I wanna go swimming!"
"We'll go swimming later buddy, I promise," Henry told his brother. Both boys pouted, and shook their tousled blonde heads.
"No, now, please! It our burpday!" they both cried.
"We can't just now. But there will be chocolate cake at the feast," Grace said enticingly. This seemed to make them happy
"Hey, are we ready guys?" Emma called from the doorway we have to be out there to start the party in a few, and, eeeek! Jefferson!" Emma cried, as her husband grabbed her from behind.
"Hello love," he said in her ear. She turned to smack at his shoulder.
"You scared me to death jerk-face!" she said teasingly. He grinned and slid his hands down over her stomach.
"How's out little one doing?" he asked. Emma shrugged.
"She's fine, but mama is hungry. Can we get moving? I want to get down there like five minutes ago," Emma said, looking at her kids. "Ready guys?"
"Yeah, just one more thing, and we can go," Grace told her, and turned to go back into the bathroom. She reappeared a moment later, smiled at Emma, and her dad.
"Okay, all set!" she said, and Jefferson smiled back at his daughter.
"What were you doing sweetheart?" he asked her noticing her arm was wet to the elbow.
"Just draining the bath," she replied rolling her sleeve back down. Jeffery, and Emmett looked at each other.
"Noo!" they both yelled and bolted away from their older brother, heading for the bathroom at break-neck speed.
"Hey, guys come on!" Grace cried, and ran after her little brothers, followed closely by Henry. After a few seconds Grace shrieked at the top of her lungs, and Henry started laughing, then yelled as a great splashing noise was heard.
"Hey, quit it!" he cried. Emma and Jefferson looked at each other and rushed over to the bathroom door. There stood Grace her hair wet and stringing into her face, her arm elbow deep in the large marble tub splashing her brother for all she was worth.
"How do you like it?" she cried, and Emma covered her mouth with her hand. Jefferson burst out laughing at his water-logged children.
"What on earth is going on in here?" Emma demanded. Grace stopped splashing and Henry looked at her. The twins bobbed in the tub drenched to the skin, their clothes ruined. Jeffery had two toy ducks in his hand, as his twin plugged up the drain.
"Mama, we saved Quacky and Dubby!" both boys chorused in unison. Emma looked from her twins, to her firstborn, to her daughter, all soaked, and snickered.
"All of this was to rescue your toy ducks?" Jefferson asked his sons. The nodded. He shrugged and looked at his wife. "At least it was for a good reason," he said, and Emma shook her head.
"You call saving toy ducks a good reason for jumping into a full bathtub fully clothed?" she asked her husband. He smirked.
"As good as any reason," he replied grinning wider. Emma giggled.
"You're crazy!" she told him playfully.
"You knew that when you said I do love," he reminded her. Emma sighed.
"We are gonna be so late," she said, and moved to the side of the tub to retrieve her sons.
"We wanna swim mama," the boys said, batting their eyes at her. Emma shook her head.
"No boys, we have to be at the feast. Grandmama, and Grandpapa are already going to have to delay things because we have to get you cleaned up," she said, and they pouted again.
"But mama, can we please swim? We're already wet," they said brightly, and Emma fought back a chuckle.
"No, not right now. We'll all go swimming later," she said. Henry smirked.
"Or we could right now. I already have to change, so I might as well go for broke," chortled, and made a sweeping motion for his brothers to move. To one side.
"Henry don't you," she began, but Henry had already jumped into the tub with his brothers sloshing even more water on his sister.
"Oooh Henry!" she warned and climbed in the tub to go after him. "I'll get you!" she shrieked. Henry stuck out his tongue.
"Try it girly," he teased her.
"I'll show you girly!" she snapped and dove at Henry dunking him under the water. He came up sputtering and laughing.
"Oh my God!" Emma stammered. Now all four of her children were in the tub splashing and giggling. She looked Jefferson as if to say, 'do something, they're yours too!' He just put his arms around her.
"How angry would Snow and James be if we are a teensy bit late?" he asked. Emma sighed.
"Well, not very, considering my condition," she said patting her rounded stomach. "And it is the boys' birthday after all," she said, wondering what was on her deranged husband's mind.
"Well then, feel like a swim milady?" he asked her, sweeping his arm towards the deep marble tub. She gaped at him.
"You want me to get in there with my clothes on?" she asked him flabbergasted. He smiled.
"I think it may be best, I mean the way we usually swim isn't appropriate in front of the children," he said, wriggling his eyebrows at her. She giggled and smacked at his chest playfully. "Come on, just for a little bit?" he asked her.
"Oh alright, but you are mopping up the water!" she told him. He nodded.
"Sure, whatever. After you love," he said to her. She climbed in the tub and then splashed some water out at him, her long gown floating to the surface of the water. He followed her in, and splashed her back. The water fight was on!
About an half an hour later Snow, and James came looking for their family. The party was about to get underway and Snow was getting worried. James was sure it was nothing, until they came into the nursery, and heard the children squealing.
Snow ran to the door of the bathroom and peered inside. There was her daughter, son in law, and grandchildren up to their necks in the tub, splashing and playing around in the water. She put her hands on her hips and cleared her throat. Everyone stopped and looked up at Snow. James sniggered and had to turn away to keep from laughing.
"What on earth is going on in here?" Snow demanded. Emma locked eyes with her mother, who remembered being a teacher and had that look that only a teacher can give, and looked down.
"We were just uh," Emma looked around and spotted one of her son's toy ducks floating nearby, and seized it. "We were saving the ducks!" she said, and Jefferson and Henry burst out laughing.
"We have guests! The party is starting in fifteen minutes, with or without you!" Snow said, and turned on her heel meeting James' bemused expression. "Are you coming?" she asked him shortly. He blinked and wiped the smile off of his face, pretending he was not considering jumping in with them.
"Yes dear," he said sheepishly. He turned back to his family in the bathroom, and smirked. "Hurry it up," he told them, trying to sound stern, and failing. Then he turned to follow his wife out of the room.
Emma looked over at her husband, and they laughed together. After a moment they talked the kids into getting out and drying off. Jefferson swore he'd clean up the water after the feast. They changed the twins into new outfits, which made them happy since they were more comfortable than the last ones had been. Henry and Grace went to change clothes as well, and they finally made it to the party. The boys had a great birthday, even if they were a few minutes late to the party. They didn't care. The ducks were safe.
A/N : And, end! It was a bit goofy, I know, but still, please review if you have the time. Tell me what you think.