Insert sincere thanks to my fellow REAL World writers and boundless gratitude to our readers here. I really suck at ANs.

Choo Choo (1/1)

"Hey, we didn't expect to see you guys this morning," Mary said with a smile as Catherine and Steve entered the condo with a happily babbling Angie in her father's arms. "I thought you'd be home sleeping in after all the extended Christmas festivities."

Steve took in his sister's attire and smirked. "We're not the ones still in our pajamas at 10:00 AM."

"I have jet lag," Mary volleyed back.

"Isn't it actually two hours later in LA?" Steve asked. "Your body should feel like it's noon."

"You know what? I'm done with you right now." Mary waved him off. "Let me see that adorable niece of mine and her new tooth." She held out her arms and Angie reached for her eagerly. "There's my girl."

"We actually just came by to drop off the casserole dish mom brought stuffing in on Christmas," Catherine said, placing the bag on the bar. She looked around. "Where is everybody?"

"Aaron's in the shower." Mary's voice had a sing-song tone as she bounced Angie in her arms. "Grandma Ang is in the community room helping with the decorations for the big New Year's Eve bash." She disentangled Angie's fingers from her hair and kissed the baby's hand. "Joseph and Elizabeth ran to the store to get the stuff to make cookies for the big sleepover and Joan went with them."

"How long ago did they leave?" Steve asked.

Mary shrugged. "I don't know. Forty-five minutes maybe? An hour tops."

Steve and Catherine looked at each other and chuckled.

"An hour, huh?" Catherine smiled.

Mary's forehead creased. "What am I missing?"

"Well, let's start with the fact that the grocery store is five minutes away," Catherine pointed out. "So a quick trip to pick up a few things takes twenty minutes tops. Add to that the fact that my mother keeps the ingredients to bake cookies in her cupboards at all times."

Mary tickled Angie's tummy. "Meaning?"

"Meaning that while you were busy having jet lag," Steve teased, "The Grandma and Grandpa Fun Express pulled out of the station without you noticing."

Mary's head snapped up. "What? No. They just went to the grocery store."

Catherine snorted. "They may have started there. But I'm betting it won't be their only stop."

Mary grimaced. "Joan only had a piece of toast and a little fruit before they went. She's used to having a mid-morning snack since she started pre-school and tends to eat a smaller breakfast. I hope she doesn't get cranky."

"Oh, don't worry," Catherine smiled. "They'll feed her. Possibly more than once."

Mary looked skeptical. "Are you sure about this? Maybe the grocery store is just busy."

Steve could barely hold in his laugh when his eyes met Catherine's. "Trust us. We have experience in this area."

Half an hour later, as Angie napped peacefully in her pack and play in the corner of the room while Mary, Aaron, Steve and Catherine relaxed over coffee, Mary's phone buzzed with an incoming text.

"It's from Elizabeth." She read the message aloud. "Sorry it's taking longer than expected. We decided to make a few other stops while we're out. Joan is fine. We'll be home in a bit."

Steve and Catherine grinned and in perfect unison said, "They're at the mall."

Ninety minutes later Elizabeth and Joan came through the door wearing matching tri-corner sailor hats and eyepatches.

"We'e back!" Joan announced loudly then stopped and started to tiptoe when she noticed Angie sleeping. "Shhhhh." She peered over the side of the pack and play. "I didn't know you was coming."

"Let her sleep, peanut," Mary said quietly.

"How about you come say hello to Uncle Steve and Aunt Catherine," Aaron suggested.

When she turned towards them Steve noticed a familiar looking stain on the front of her shirt that he was pretty sure was shave ice.

"Hi, Unca Steve! Hi, Ann Caf!"

"Where have you been, Joanie?" Steve asked as she scrambled into his lap. "Out having fun?"

Joan's head nodded emphatically and her hat slipped over her free eye. "We went to the toy sto'we and a place with lots and lots of balloons." She pushed the hat back into place.

"The party store," Elizabeth smiled as she put down the shopping bags she was carrying. "We went in there to pick up a few new hats for the hat game."

"See!" Joan took her new hat off her head and held it up for everyone to see. "It's a piwate hat. Awwwwgh!"

"You didn't need a new hat for the hat game, pumpkin." Aaron smiled. "Any old hat would do."

"But where would the fun be in that?" Joseph asked breezily as he entered the condo carrying two bags of groceries and several more shopping bags, a bowler hat perched on his head.

Mary looked at all the bags. "I thought you just needed a few things to make cookies."

Steve and Catherine snickered but Elizabeth held her head high. "I apologize for nothing."

Catherine snorted. "Of course you don't."

"The stores were all having after Christmas sales," Elizabeth said without a touch of defensiveness in her tone. "The prices were so good … "

Joseph's eyes danced as he cut her off. "She couldn't resist."

Aaron pointed to Joseph's hat and the monocle sticking out of his shirt pocket. "It looks like you joined in on the fun too."

Joseph dropped an arm across Elizabeth's shoulders. "In solidarity with my beautiful wife, I too apologize for nothing."

"So, let's see what you got," Catherine said.

"I'm sorry but these are all top-secret sleepover surprises." Elizabeth shook her head then had a second thought. "Oh wait, I can show you one thing."

She searched for a specific bag and clapped with excitement when she located it. "These are for mama and daddy," she said as she pulled 2 pairs of short sleeved summer pajamas covered with palm trees and pineapples from the bag.

Joan jumped off Steve's lap and delivered the new purchases to her parents.

"I guess pajamas are a thing this year," Catherine whispered to Steve.

Joseph and I got a pair too." Elizabeth continued. "And a pair for Joan." Elizabeth pulled out a onesie. "And of course, one for Angie."

Joan held her pair against her body and twirled in the center of the room. "We all match!" she said excitedly.

"We decided the sleepover needed a theme," Joseph explained.

Mary leaned over to Catherine and whispered, "You weren't kidding about the Grandparents Fun Express, were you?"

Catherine grinned. "Choo Choo."

THE END

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