Chapter 2, The Dogs are Missing
It was a long weekend, and the Pickles and Finsters had gone out of town to check out Nyagra Falls. But because they were going over the border, they could only take one furry companion with them. So Spikfi and Pepper won the ticket to go to Canada with their families, causing the Generics to be left in charge of Spike and Fifi over the weekend. All went just fine, as Bobby took care of his dog Roger, along with his two furry guests, Spike and Fifi, until the night before Tommy and Chuckie's families were due to return. On this particular night, the three dogs escaped out of Bobby's backyard in a gap in the fence, causing Bobby to wake up the next morning, to a very unpleasant surprise.
"Roger, Spike, Fifi, time for your breakfast." Called Bobby from the back door, as he held up two big bowls of kibble for the dogs.
He called three more times, only to have the dogs not come. Panicked, Bobby threw the bowls on the floor, spilling dog food everywhere, as he ran through the house, yelling in panic.
"Mommy! Mommy! Help! Roger, Spike, and Fifi are gone!" Bobby cried in panic, as he ran through the house.
"Oh, for crying in the mud Bobby, I'm sure they're just out for a stroll. They'll come back." Said Martha reassuringly, putting an arm around Bobby's shoulder, trying to help him calm down.
"But what if they don't come back in time? Tommy and Chuckie will be over later on today to pick them up!" Bobby cried.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry little manzy, I'm sure they'll be back in time. Now, why don't we clean up that dog food that spilled on the floor, and you sit down at the table now. I made your favorite, pancakes and woffles!" Said Martha.
"Well, ok." Said Bobby with a sigh, as he got a mop and a rag to clean up the mess of dog food on the kitchen floor.
Later on that day, the Finsters and Pickles stopped by to pick up their dogs.
"Hey Tommy, hey Chuckie, how was Nyagra falls?" Bobby asked.
"It was great!" Said Tommy excitedly.
"Well, at first, it was a little bit scary, but when you watch from a safe distance, it's the most beautifulest thing I ever sawed, even more beautifuler than the firstest time I sawed a butterfly come out of its cricilist thing, and wanted to turn into a flying Chuckie, making myself look really really cute." Said Chuckie.
"Wow that's great! Eh guys?" Bobby asked.
"Huh? Eh?" Tommy asked out of confusion.
"You went to Canada and didn't learn how to speak Canadian? I went there with my family and Uncle Ted introduced me to some real Canadians, and everybody says eh there." Said Bobby.
"Oh…" Said Chuckie, confused.
"Anyway, I came to get my bestest doggy friend. Where is he? Spikfi misses his daddy, and I wanna tell Spikie about all of my aventures in Canada." Said Tommy.
"Yeah, and, Pepper misses her mommy." Said Chuckie with a frown.
Bobby turned away from Tommy and Chuckie, a frown on his face, and a tear rolling down his cheek.
"What's the matter?" Tommy asked.
"Uh guys, Spike and Fifi are gone." Said Bobby, starting to cry.
"What?" Tommy asked, surprised.
"Yeah, they and Roger escaped last night, and when I called them for breakfast this morning, nobody came." Said Bobby.
"You lostest my bestest doggy friend?" Tommy asked angrily.
"And, Pepper's mommy?" Chuckie asked, scared and upset.
"I'm sorry guys, it's not just your dogs that ran away, Roger ran off too." Said Bobby, sniffling back some tears.
But Tommy and Chuckie stayed mad at Bobby, the three of them, not speaking to one another for the rest of the day, only making Bobby more upset as the day wore on. That night at dinner, after Tommy and Chuckie went home, Bobby sat at the dinner table, twirling the spaghetti on to his fork, picking up his fork and putting it back down.
"Aren't you hungry little man?" Martha asked.
"No." Bobby replied with a frown.
"Well, what's wrong little guy?" Martha asked.
"Roger, Spike and Fifi still haven't come back, and now, Tommy and Chuckie are mad at me." Bobby replied.
"Awe, I'm sure they'll be back soon." Said Martha.
"I don't know, uh, Bobby, didn't you tell us that Spike and Fifi were like, husband and wife?" Kelly asked.
"Yeah? Why?" Bobby asked.
"Well, it's obvious what happened here Bobby." Said Kelly.
"What Kelly, what?" Bobby asked.
"Spike, Fifi, and Roger, are in a love triangle." Said Kelly.
"A love triangle? They all like to play the musical instrument?" Bobby said, as he started to imagine Spike, Fifi and Roger, all sitting on a band stand, each playing the triangle.
"No dork." Said Derek, disrupting Bobby's fantasy, causing him to return to the real world, as he stared across the dinner table at his older brother and sister.
"Look Bobby, it's obvious what's going on here. Roger and Spike both love Fifi, that's why they call it a love triangle, cuz all three dogs love one another, or in this case, two boy dogs, love the same girl dog. So, Roger and Fifi ran off together so they could be alone, and Spike ran after them to win Fifi back. Understand?" Kelly asked, after giving her explanation.
"Yeah, I think I understand. Thanks Kelly." Said Bobby, as he started to eat the spaghetti on his plate.
"Like, uh, no problem Bobby." Said Kelly.
The following day, all of the Rugrats came over to play with Bobby, as he was on spring break from school, so the babies would get to come over everyday that week to play, in hopes that during that week, their doggy friends would return.
"Tommy! Chuckie! Kimi! Dil! I know what's going on, why are doggy friends have disappeared!" Said Bobby.
"What's going on Bobby?" Kimi asked out of curiosity.
"My sister tells me, that they love triangles." Said Bobby.
"Huh? You mean, they ran off, looking for triangles?" Phil asked out of confusion.
"Yeah, that's what my sister said." Said Bobby, completely getting mixed up about what his sister really said.
"What are triangles again?" Lil asked.
"Uh, a triangle, looks like this." Said Chuckie, as he took some paper and crayons, and drew a triangle on a piece of paper, holding it up for the other toddlers and Bobby to see.
"Oh." Said Bobby and all of the toddlers in unison.
"So, all we've gots to do, is find everything in this house that looks like a triangle, and put all of the triangles all over the backyard. Then Spike, Fifi and Roger, are sure to come back, cuz they'll find their triangles!" Said Tommy excitedly.
"That's a great idea Tommy." Said Chuckie excitedly.
"Let's do it then." Said Zack.
"Yeah!" Added Jesse.
So, Bobby and the toddlers all split up around the house, looking for anything that looked like a triangle. An hour later, they all had a pile of blocks, puzzle pieces, a pyramid project of Kelly's, and Dil found a piece of pizza in the trash, that was in the shape of a triangle, and Bobby and the toddlers, took their triangles outside to Bobby's backyard, and spread them out on the grass.
"There, now, we wait. You'll see, tomorrow morning, our doggies will be back, all happy cuz they've gots their triangles." Said Tommy excitedly.
"I hope this works." Chuckie muttered to himself.
"Don't worry Chuckie, it's gotta work." Said Tommy.
But the next day came, and all Bobby and the toddlers found in the backyard were the triangles they put out there the day before, in the spot they left them, all except for one, the piece of pizza, which was eaten by a raccoon overnight.
"Great, this is just great. We search the entire world for triangles, and leave them where Fifi, Spike and Roger can see them, and what do we get? Nothing!" Griped Chuckie.
"Yeah." Said Bobby with a sigh.
Before anybody could say anything else, Martha, Howard G, and Ralph, the brunch consultant walked outside into the backyard.
"Bobby Generic, you get this yard cleaned up right now, there's triangles everywhere!" Said Martha.
"Yeah, so?" Bobby asked.
"Bobby, I thought your father and I told you we were expecting company today. Chuckie's parents recommended Ralph, the Brunch Consultant to us. He's here to decorate the backyard for our Easter party coming up on Sunday. So you and your friends need to clean up this mess right now, and head inside, so we can get our work done." Said Martha.
"Fine, come on guys, let's pick up our toys and head inside." Muttered Bobby with a sigh, as everybody went around, picking up the triangles and other toys in the yard, and carried them back into the house, playing silently the rest of the day.
All that could be heard was the loud booming happy voice of Ralph, as he sculpted the backyard into the eternal signs of spring.
"And Martha and Howard, I'd like to make you two, bush people, just as I tried to do with Chaz and Kira last year." Said Ralph.
"Uh, Ralph sir, we have more of an Easter thing in mind." Said Howard G.
"Oh yes, I think I remember, your recommendations wanted that done last year. I know just what to do." Said Ralph.
As the day grew to a close, and Ralph finished up and left for home, by this time, the only toddlers still at Bobby's were Tommy and Dil, as Betty and Howard D, Chaz and Kira, Laura and Dana, and Aunty Celeste, had all been by to pick their kids up.
"Well, I guess our doggies don't love triangles as much as Kelly says they do. Got any other ideas Tommy?" Bobby asked.
"Hey, why don't you wish on a star before you go to sleep tonight for Roger and our doggies to come back." Suggested Tommy.
"Huh?" Bobby asked, confused.
"Well, one time, Spike gotted out, and we went to the park, where we had to save the stars from falling from the sky, or else we couldn't make no more wishes. Then, after we stopped the stars from falling, we made a wish for Spike to come back, and he did! I bet if you make a wish on the stars tonight, our doggies will be back by morning." Said Tommy with a smile, as the doorbell rang.
"Anything's worth a try, ok, I'll do it!" Said Bobby excitedly, as he ran to get the door, where he found Stu and Didi standing there.
""Hi Bobby, did you have a nice day with Tommy and Dil?" Didi asked, as she walked into the living room to scoop up her boys.
"We sure did, and we can't wait for the Easter brunch tomorrow!" Said Bobby excitedly.
"Oh yes, it should be wonderful! The food, and, spring, is in the air! Of course Stu, you're leaving your irrigation invention at home." Said Didi, turning to her husband, who scooped up Dil, while Didi scooped up Tommy.
"Time to go kids, we'll see you guys tomorrow at the brunch." Said Stu, as the Pickles left the Generic's home.
Meanwhile, Kelly and Peter were at the park, when they spotted Fifi on top of Roger in some bushes. They tried to call for them, but they were too busy making love to notice.
"Well Peter, looks like Roger is having a love affair with Fifi." Said Kelly.
"Yep." Said Peter, as the two of them got up from the bench they were sitting on at the park, to head back to Kelly's house.
Peter and Kelly entered the door.
"So, any luck finding Roger?" Bobby asked, upon seeing his sister and Peter walk in the door.
"Yeah, and, your dog is having a love affair with Fifi." Said Kelly.
"A love fair?" Bobby asked, as he started to imagine a fair in his head.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time, for the love fair. Come ride the kissing roller coaster, then take your date on the all you can eat faris wheel, and finally, end your romantic evening, with a boat ride, through the tunnel of love, where you can play games and win your sweetheart, the best prizes ever!" Said an imaginary announcer.
In Bobby's fantasy, he looked around, to see humans and dogs kissing and licking one another. Then, he spotted Fifi and Roger at the top of the faris wheel, and Spike down on the ground, growling, as he stared up at the couple.
"Go up to the top and win your lady back Spike." Called Bobby, as he started to push Spike in his imaginary fantasy.
"Bobby, what are you doing?" Kelly asked, as Bobby returned to reality, noticing he was pushing on Kelly's legs in reality.
"Oh, sorry, I just need to get to the love fair, and get Roger back!" Said Bobby.
"Not, a love fair, a love affair." Said Peter, correcting him.
"What's a love affair?" Bobby asked.
"Well, you know that Spike and Fifi had puppies together last Easter, right?" Peter asked.
"I knew they had puppies together, that's how Tommy and Dil got Spikfi and Chuckie and Kimi got Pepper. I had no idea it happened last year at Easter until now, but what's the fair got to do with it? Are our dogs at a fair, riding rides and filling up on junk food that moms don't like you to have?" Bobby asked.
"No, a love affair is, to put it simply, Fifi still loves Spike, but she loves Roger too, and, there may be a special surprise for you in the near future. You wait and see." Said Peter, as he turned and headed out the door, to head back to his Confederacy castle in Richmond, Virginia.
"I'm still confused. I think I'll try Tommy's idea tonight before I go to bed, and see if that doesn't get our dogs to come back from the Love Fair." Bobby thought to himself, as he watched Peter disappear into the sunset out the window.
Later that night, after Martha had tucked Bobby and Derek in, and turned out the lights, Bobby got out of bed, tip towed over to the window, where he opened the curtins, and stared out at the stars in the sky.
"Star light, star bright. Wish I may, wish I might. Uh, stars, I wish that you'd bring Roger back to me, Spike back to Tommy, Dil and Spikfi, and Fifi back to Chuckie, Kimi and Pepper. We miss our doggy friends very much, and it would mean a lot, if you'd bring them back to us. After all, tomorrow's Easter, and Easter just won't feel the same, without man's best friend by our side. So please stars, please, bring them back to us." Pleeded Bobby.
"What are you doing dweeb?" Derek asked from the other side of the room, rolling over in bed, annoyed that Bobby was keeping him awake.
"Making a wish on the stars to bring Roger, Spike, and Fifi back." Said Bobby.
"You are such a dork! Stars can't grant wishes." Said Derek.
"Tommy says they can. He wished on some stars after saving them from falling, and his wish came true." Said Bobby.
"Your two-year-old purple haired friend Sticky fingers has mush for brains. I doubt if his wish really came true." Said Derek, as he rolled over, trying to go back to sleep.
"His name is Tommy not Sticky Fingers, and I'm pretty sure his wish came true. He'd never lie to me, even if he is only two. He knows better than that." Said Bobby.
"We'll see about that. Yeah, we'll see come morning if your friend is just sticky fingers, or if he's sticky brains too. Now be quiet so I can get some sleep." Grumbled Derek, as he pulled the covers up over his head.
Bobby got back into bed and did the same, in hopes that his wish would come true, not only for his sake and the sake of his friends, but so his older brother, would shut up and be quiet.
The next day, Bobby awoke the next morning, only to be greeted by disappointment. He sat at the kitchen table, eating his Captain Squash cerial, with a huge frown on his face. Derek wandered into the kitchen, to notice Bobby, sitting at the table, looking pretty sad and lonely.
"I told you dork, stars can't grant wishes. If I were you, I'd get some friends your age, who don't act like dweebs." Said Derek, as he poured himself a bowl of cerial.
"As mom always says, put a sock in it Derek." Said Bobby, as he went on eating his cerial.
Derek glared at him for a minute, before returning to his own breakfast.
Three hours later, the Pickles, Finsters, Devilles, Wehrenbergs and Barrows, along with Peter Albany, and Bobby's uncle Ted, all showed up for the Easter brunch. Ralph was there, setting things up, while Martha and Kelly went around the backyard, hiding Easter eggs, Taffy and her band were getting set up to play music, and Howard G, Howard D, Chaz, Stu, and Uncle Ted, all appeared, dressed up as bunnies. Once everything was all set, Martha clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.
"This is so G golly exciting to be celebrating our first Easter with our new friends in our new home. First, I'd like to thank Chaz and Kira Finster for their party recommendations. Without whom, this party wouldn't have been possible. Next up, I'd like to welcome the guy responsible for it all, here he is, Ralph!" Said Martha, as everybody gave him a big hand, and he came up next to Martha.
"Hi everyone, most of you already know me, but I'm Ralph, and I'm a party planner. If you don't, well, here's hoping this year is just as exciting as last year. I went home with bugs as suvineers, so now, I'm just waiting to see what I get to take home this year." Cried Ralph with happiness.
"And now, since Howard Deville didn't want to be the official Easter bunny two years in a row, as Kira tells me he played him last year, I'm pleased to announce this year's Easter bunny, Uncle Ted!" Said Martha, as Ted came out dressed in his bunny costume, with a huge grin on his face.
"Well hey there kids, Happy Easter! And you know what that means? It's time, for Easter noogies!" Said Ted.
Bobby just stared up at his uncle, a frown across his face.
"Awe, why the long face Bobbo?" Ted asked.
"I don't want no Easter noogies." Snapped Bobby.
"Why not?" Ted asked.
"A, Bobby's sad cuz Roger ran away this week and hasn't come back." Whispered Martha into Ted's ear.
"Oh, Bobbo, don't you worry, I'm sure Roger will be back before you know it. In fact, why don't we take your mind off of Roger, by you and your friends going on an Easter egg hunt around the yard, while we get brunch ready." Said Ted.
"Uh, Roger isn't the only one who ran away. Spike and Fifi ran away too, so Tommy and Dil, and Chuckie and Kimi aren't in the best of Easter spirits either." Said Bobby, who turned to his friends, who were all looking sad, and then, glancing over at the other side of the yard, where he saw Spikfi and Pepper, also looking sad.
"And, Spikfi and Pepper miss their mommy and daddy too." Continued Bobby, pointing over at the sad puppies across the yard.
"Awe, well, all you kids need is something to take your mind off of it. I bet ya by the time you find the eggs, and eat your brunch, the food will be so good, all of the dogs in the neighborhood will come running over here just to try to get a bite of our fabulous brunch." Said Ted with excitement.
Then, he pulled out some items from a sack he had on the ground.
"Look, I even brought some trout on a stick and chili cheese nochos to contribute to today's brunch." Said Ted, as he stuffed a nocho into his mouth and started chewing it up.
"Mmmm, delicious!" Said Ted.
"Ok, I suppose we can try to do that Ted." Said Bobby, as he took his friends off to start the Easter egg hunt.
"Well, we were looking for eggies the lastest time when Spike remembered me and led me to a bunch of new doggy friends. Maybe your uncle Ted's right. Maybe after we finded all of the eggs, our doggy friends will finded us too. Come on!" Said Tommy, as everybody started searching the backyard for eggs.
Half an hour later, there were two buckets full of eggs, and no dogs. By this time, the kids couldn't take it anymore, and Tommy, Dil, Chuckie, Kimi, and Bobby, all started crying. Spikfi and Pepper came over to comfort them, as they started wining on top of the crying. Zack and Peter overheard all of the noise, and came over to see what was up.
"Hey guys, I'm sorry our doggy friends haven't come back, but did it ever occur to you that if they can't get to us, maybe we need to go to them?" Zack asked.
Upon hearing what Zack suggested, everyone stopped their crying and wining, and stared at him.
"Why didn't I thinked of this before? Zack, you're right. Our doggy friends are in trouble, and it's up to us to get them back. Come on guys." Said Tommy, as he went towards the Reptar wagon on the other side of the yard, the other toddlers and Bobby, following him.
"But Tommy, how are we gonna find Spike, Fifi and Roger?" Lil asked.
"I couldn't help but overhear what you guys are up to, and, might I suggest you get Spikfi and Pepper to help you?" Suggested Peter.
"Huh?" Phil asked in confusion.
"Well yeah! Dogs are known to be very good detectives, and, what better detectives than the offspring of two of the dogs you are on the search for?" Peter said.
"Hey, that's a great idea!" Said Kimi!
"But even if that's true, how will Spikfi and Pepper know how to find their mommy and daddy?" Chuckie asked.
"By smelling something that smells like Roger, Fifi, and Spike." Said Zack.
"Cool!" Said Jesse.
"But what do we have around here that smells like Roger, Spike, and Fifi?" Phil asked.
"How about one of my poopy diapies?" Dil asked.
"Uh Dil, that would only lead Spikfi and Pepper to you, not to our doggy friends. Bobby, you sawed them last, go find items that smell like the dogs, and bring them out here for Spikfi and Pepper to smell." Said Zack.
Bobby ran into the house, where he found a chewed up sock of his father's, a rubber porkchop, and a kong. He scooped up the items and brought them back outside.
"What you got there Bobby?" Tommy asked.
"An old sock of my daddy's that Roger loves to chew on, Fifi's rubber porkchop, and Spike's cong, I remember filling this up with peanut butter the night before they ran away, and he ate it up immediately. Here Spikfi and Pepper, smell these." Said Bobby, as he stuck the sock, kong, and rubber toy into their faces.
No sooner had Pepper and Spikfi picked up the cents of the three dogs, when they burst out of the backyard, on the search for their missing companions.
"Come on guys, we've gots to go after them!" Cried Jesse, as he grabbed the handle of the Reptar wagon, and started pulling it in the direction the puppies ran out of the yard. Tommy, Chuckie, Zack, Phil, Lil, Kimi, Bobby and Dil all piled into the wagon, Phil and Lil bringing along the buckets of Easter eggs, as Jesse pulled the Reptar wagon out of the yard, and the gang was off on an expedition to get their furry friends back, as Phil and Lil threw Easter eggs over the side of the wagon, leaving a plastic colorful trail to follow back to Bobby's house, once their friends were found.
And this, ends chapter 2. So, what will happen? Will they find their doggy friends? We'll find out, in chapter 3!
