A/N: I want to thank Majora's Mask Freak184 for betaing this.

Christine's belated Birthday, plus the origins of Fred joining the McCallisters.

Part 1

McCallister House

January 1, 1991

10:45 A.M.

Peter and Kate's Room

(Kate's PoV:)

I'm in an upbeat mood on this New Year's Day. Today, the McCallister Family is celebrating Christine's late 24th Birthday, later this afternoon, to make up for missing her Birthday on December 1st, and for the past seven years.

I'm also planning a surprise visit to Christine at her apartment today. I've been dying to see my daughter again, since being reunited with her for the first time in seven years, which occurred a week ago.

The frequent phone calls to Christine are just not enough for me. I just feel the need to see my daughter, my first-born in the flesh, again, since the reunion between us only lasted about a day.

I'm sitting at my makeup table in the master bathroom, getting myself ready for the surprise visit I'm about to make to my daughter's apartment. I want to make a good first impression with my daughter's neighbors, when I go to visit her.

"Dammit, Fred! It's just a little soap and water behind the ears! No need to make a scene!" I hear Peter yell from the main bath in the hall, sounding annoyed. He's giving Fred a bath for Christine's special day.

"Fred must have soaked him good," I smile, applying some lipstick, thinking of how Fred really gets hyperactive, when getting his baths.

"Darn dog just soaked one of my best shirts…" I hear Peter grumble, as he walks into the master bath to grab a towel and dry himself off.

"Is Fred giving you a hard time, sweetheart?" I tease, while making sure my hair is perfect.

Peter just looks at me for a moment, then smirks. "So, what's getting you all prettied up, Katydid? It's awful early for you to be looking so smoking hot. It's driving me wild," he teases.

I blush and wink back at him. "Well, it's not for you, Rabbit. I just wanted to make a good impression with Christine's neighbors, when I visit her today," I respond, as I blow Peter a kiss.

"Keep this up, we'll be having baby number seven, before you know it," Peter jokes, as he places his arms around my shoulders and kisses me on the neck. "So, does Christine know about your planned visit?"

"No, she doesn't, because I want to surprise her," I ignore his remark about baby number seven, as I shove him away. "Shouldn't you be getting back to Fred to finish giving him his bath?" I ask him. That's when Peter smacks his head and runs out of the room.

I stand up and give myself a quick look over in front of the big mirror, making sure the blue and green sweater that Christine bought me for Christmas and my brown slacks are perfect. I then head downstairs to the kitchen…

The Kitchen

I hear Peter getting frustrated with Fred, as I make my way down the backstairs that lead to the kitchen. I notice all my kids are sitting at the table, playing a board game. "You're looking good, Mom. You and Dad have a date?" Megan asks, much to the annoyance of her twin sister, who's making gagging impressions.

I smile. "Why, thank you, Megan. And, no, your Dad and I don't have a date. I'm actually about to leave to go see your sister, Christine," This gets Kevin's attention. "Can I go with you, Mom?" Kevin pleads, pouting.

"Sorry, Kevin, but no," I tell him, which I feel guilty about, knowing how much Kevin loves Christine. He's been down in the dumps, since she had to leave to go back home.

"Why?" he asks, whining.

I feel like a headache is about to come on, as I try to think of a good way to explain to an eight-year-old that I want to see Christine alone. "Kevin, you know how your Dad and I sometimes spend time alone, with just you or one of your siblings? Well, I want to spend time alone with your oldest sister, because there are things I need to discuss with her. It's been a very long time, since we had any bonding time, as a Mother and daughter. You understand now, sweetheart?" I gently tell him, smiling.

"I guess so," Kevin frowns, looking hurt that he isn't going to get to see Christine.

I kneel down to Kevin's level, as I tell him, "Kevin, sweetheart, I just want you to know I love you a whole lot, because you're my baby, and I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I promise you, I'll take you to see Christine next time I visit her, okay?" Kevin quickly hugs me.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I shouldn't have acted like a baby," he tells me.

"Kevin, no need to be sorry. You just reacted, because you miss your sister. You'll be seeing her this afternoon, because the whole family is celebrating her Birthday today," I smile.

Kevin's eyes shine brightly in excitement. "I forgot about that, Mom!"

"Well, sweetheart, you can be getting ready, while I'm visiting your sister. Your Dad should be finishing up with Fred," I begin to feel happy, now that Kevin's cheered up. "That goes for the rest of you, as well. I want all of you sparkling clean and looking your best, because this is your sister's special day." I tell the rest of my kids.

"I'm not taking any bath in any tub that has dog germs," Megan turns her nose, while Linnie nods, in agreement. Buzz quietly mouths "wusses", thinking I don't hear him.

"Buzz, that's another two weeks, without your learner's permit, not counting the weeks for your antics in Paris," I sternly tell him. When will he ever learn? "Megan, Linnie, you girls can take a shower in your Dad and I's bathroom."

"Thanks, Mom," They both smile, in unison.

"What's going on, Kate?" I hear Peter ask, while coming down the stairs. Fred is following him from behind, looking all pretty from his bath.

I give him the rundown about Buzz silently insulting his sisters, since they don't want to shower in the main bathroom, because of Fred. I then tell Fred how pretty he looks, and how Christine is going to be gushing over him.

"What's so funny, Peter?" I see the amused look on his face.

"It's just the way you talk to Fred. It's like he's one of the kids," Peter smirks.

"Well, Fred is like one of the kids to me, in case you've forgotten the reason why we got him, in the first place," I say to him, coldly. I feel hurt, as I quickly grab my keys.

"Kate, I didn't mean it that away, honest. I was just joking," Peter suddenly realizes what I'm referring to. "I'm sorry, honey."

"I'll talk to you about it later. Just make sure all the kids are cleaned up and ready, when I return. I gave the girls the 'okay' to use our bathroom, while the boys use the main bathroom," I tell him, coldly, still feeling hurt, as I grab my coat.

"Kate, please don't be angry at me, especially on Christine's special day," Peter pleads.

"I'm not angry at you. Just hurt. I have to go, so I'll see you later," I quickly tell him, trying to withhold the tears wanting to come out. I walk out the backdoor to the beautiful sunshine, and down the path that leads to the garage…

The Garage

I push the button that opens the door, where my blue wood-paneled Ford Station Wagon is parked. The kids must be asking Peter questions about why I got upset at him, since they don't know the real reason why Fred joined the family. I climb into the Station Wagon, thinking about this. Christine doesn't even know about this, since she ran away from home two years prior, when the events occurred.

Should I confide to her about the events that led up to the family getting Fred? Would she understand? My heart is telling me that she would. I back out of the garage, down the driveway, and onto the street.

I begin heading in the direction toward the address Christine gave me over the phone. We were discussing on the phone about having the twins stay over with her, when she gets time off from work. Luckily, I wrote it down…

Driving to/in Chicago

I'm currently feeling a mixture of emotions right now, as I continue to drive. Maybe I should talk to Christine about this… I drive onto the on-ramp that leads onto Interstate 94 toward Chicago, while listening to Jerry Reed's song Eastbound and Down to help me relax.

The trip into Chicago only takes a half hour, since there isn't much traffic out today. I get off at the Lincoln Park exit. I pull into the nearest food mart to look over the directions that will take me to Christine's apartment building, and to purchase some gasoline.

After studying the directions, Christine's apartment building is only a few blocks East from my current location, so I drive in that direction. Christine told me over the phone that her building is very noticeable. It's a brown brick building that sits by itself on top of a grassy hill, not like the other buildings in the area she mentioned, which are connected together like a row of townhouses.

I start to keep a lookout, once I arrive on the street that Christine told me she lived on. My heart flutters in excitement, once I spot a building that matched the description Christine gave me. I double-check to see if the street number matches the one I have written down. My heart jumps for joy, when I see that it does match. I pull into the parking lot and park next to Christine's car, once I spot it, to my joy. I exit the Station Wagon after shutting it down and locking it up…

Christine's Apartment Building

I make my way across the parking lot towards the front of the building. I open the front door and make my way inside. I'm amazed by how beautiful the inside looks. The floors, walls, stairs, and ceilings are all wood, with a light brown color and spotless, as if they're cleaned on a regular basis. A large square column sits in the middle, and the stairs are wrapped around it.

I'm snapped out of my thoughts, when an older gentleman, dressed in a grey suit and wearing glasses, speaks to me, "Can I help you, Ma'am?"

"I'm sorry. I was just admiring how beautiful the interior looks," I smile.

"You interested in renting one of these fine apartments? My name is Morton Dysart, proprietor of the Leland Hill Apartment Complex," the man says, kindly.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Dysart. I'm Kate McCallister. And, sorry, but I'm not here to rent an apartment; I'm actually here to visit my daughter, Christine McCallister. She lives in apartment 221," I tell the man, as we shake hands.

"Well, I must say, it's nice to finally meet the Mother of one of our best tenants," Mr. Dysart replies, astonished. "I mean, Ms. McCallister never really spoke of her family much, but she's a darn good tenant, especially when she helps out some of our older tenants that we have living here."

I smile. "Well, that's wonderful to know that my daughter is such a positive influence around here. It makes me very proud of her,"

"You should be proud, Mrs. McCallister. I guess I'd better let you go, since you must be on a tight schedule. You're welcome to visit Leland Hill anytime. It was nice meeting you, Mrs. McCallister," Mr. Dysart replies, cordially.

"It was nice meeting you, as well, Mr. Dysart," I reply, cordially. "Before you go, could you tell me where Apt. 221 is located?" I smile, as I shake Mr. Dysart's hand again.

"Of course. 221 is located on the second floor, last door on your right. Again, it was nice meeting you," Mr. Dysart smiles. He hurries off, exiting the building, muttering that he's late.

"Well, that was interesting," I tell myself, as I make my way towards the stairs and climb upwards to the second floor. My heart is fluttering in excitement, as I'm now standing in front of my oldest daughter's apartment. I take a few deep breaths and ring the doorbell.

"I'll be there in a sec!" I hear Christine holler, as I wait for her to open the door, feeling excited. The door soon opens, and I see the smile light up on Christine's face, once she realizes it's me.

"Mom! This is unexpected, but I'm happy to see you, nevertheless!" Christine smiles, as she pulls me into a hug.

"I'm happy to see you, too, pumpkin. It's been too long," I cry, as I embrace my daughter.

"I know, and I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit, since I left on the day after Christmas, but work has been keeping me so busy. Well, come on in, Mom, and take a seat," Christine motions me, as I enter her apartment.

"You have a very beautiful apartment, and that's a very gorgeous outfit you're wearing, Christine," I compliment her on her grey-striped skirt, black stockings, and red blouse she's wearing. She takes my coat, while I take a seat on the sofa.

"Thanks, Mom," She smiles. "It's not much—just a living room, kitchen, bath, and bedroom, but that's all I need, just for one person," she replies, as she takes a seat in the recliner. "So, how's the rest of the family been doing, since we last talked on the phone?" Christine inquires.

I just smile. "Well, Kevin wanted me to tell you that he really misses you, and really is looking forward to seeing you later today for your late Birthday. The twins are excited about spending the night with you here at your place, whenever you get time off from work. Buzz is being Buzz, and Jeff is planning on transferring to auto shop, once school starts back next week. So, expect him to ask you for advice in the future,"

Christine smiles. "That's so awesome, Mom. Tell all my siblings, especially Kevin, that I miss them so much, and that I love them. Tell Jeff I'll be happy to help him, whenever he needs it. I hate to disappoint the twins, though, but I'm not sure when my boss is going to give me a day off again, considering we've been so busy, lately. So, how's Dad doing?"

Tears quickly wail up in my eyes, as I think about the fight I had with Peter, before I left the house. "Your Dad and I had a fight, Christine," I start sobbing. "In front of your siblings, too."

A look of concern appears on my daughter's face, as she comes over to comfort me. "Why? What happened, Mom?" she asks me.

During the drive to Chicago from Winnetka, my mind decided that I should tell her the story about the events that led up to the family getting Fred. "Well, this may sound silly, Christine, but the fight was about Fred,"

Christine just looks at me, confused, as she asks, "Why would you and Dad have a fight over Fred?" She hands me a few tissues.

I wipe the tears from my eyes, as I begin to explain, "Well, it was because Peter teased that I treat Fred like he's one of the kids," Christine still looks confused. "Well, seeing that you're confused and everything, would you like to hear the story about the events that led up to Fred becoming a part of the family?" I smile.

"I would love to hear the story, Mom. I've been wondering how Fred came to be a part of the family, since Kevin first mentioned him to me,"

I smile, feeling happy that my oldest daughter is going to join the select few, who know the whole story about how Fred joined the family. The others, of course, being Peter (well, I thought he did, until today), Frank, Leslie, Rob, and Georgette. The kids only know a garbled-up version of the story, with some omissions…

To be Continued…

A/N: What's the reason for why Fred joined the McCallisters? Why did Peter forgetting the reason upset Kate so much? Why does a select few only know the whole story? Why did Peter and Kate tell a garbled-up version to the kids? How will Christine react to Kate's story? Until next time, this is GIJoeFan985, saying "so long"!