A/N: Hey, people. This one is based on 7thxheavenxx's Full House fanfic, "Back on the Saddle". She was the brains of this one. I give her all the credit. (I didn't completely copy it, though.) Be sure to check out her version, too. =)

I have her permission to do this, by the way.

P.S. (Obviously, I don't own anything.) (And that includes the lyrics to 'Good Day, Sunshine'.)

~IlluminatiGirl

Season Nine, Episode Two

Back On The Saddle

IN THE KITCHEN

Danny is on his hands and knees, examining the floor.

DANNY

Hmm...

Joey comes into the kitchen.

JOEY

Danny, what are you doing?

DANNY

I thought I saw an ant.

JOEY

So?

DANNY

What do you mean 'so'? An ant, Joey.
There's never been an ant in my kitchen.
Ants know that there isn't any food for
them in here...

JOEY

Well...make sure you let him know that
when you catch him.

Danny nods.

Joey rolls his eyes and leaves.

IN THE LIVING ROOM

Michelle is playing a video game in front of the TV.

Jesse comes down the stairs.

JESSE

Michelle, you've been in front of that thing
all day. Have you even moved once?

MICHELLE

I ate lunch.

JESSE

Don't you have anything else to do?

MICHELLE

All my friends are busy, and Stephanie's
hanging out with Gia.

JESSE

Well, why don't you go outside and play
a while? It's a beautiful day.

MICHELLE

Nah.

JESSE

Go play soccer. You used to love
soccer, remember?

MICHELLE

I can't play soccer by myself.

JESSE

Practice your drills.

MICHELLE

Nah.

JESSE

Well...Oh, why don't you go horseback
riding? You love that. And you're good
at it.

Michelle looks up in horror.

MICHELLE

No way! I'm never riding a horse again!

JESSE

What? Why not?

MICHELLE

Don't you remember what happened last
time? I fell off and forgot everything!
I didn't even know who you guys were!

JESSE

Oh...well...that's not going to happen again.

MICHELLE

How do you know?

JESSE

Well...I don't. Not for sure. But you'll never know
unless you try.

MICHELLE

No. I don't ever want to get on a
horse again in my entire life!

Michelle drops video game controller and runs upstairs.

Jesse watches her, concerned, and sighs.

THAT NIGHT- IN THE KITCHEN

The family is sitting at the dinner table.

Michelle is playing with her food.

DANNY

Michelle, is everything okay?

MICHELLE

Huh? Oh, yeah. Fine.

DANNY

Why aren't you eating your dinner?

MICHELLE

Uh...I'm not very hungry. Can I be
excused?

DANNY

Sure.

Michelle gets up and leaves the kitchen.

DANNY

Does anyone know what's up with her?

JESSE

Well...I might have a hunch. I suggested
she go horseback riding, and she freaked out.

DANNY

Horseback riding? Why would you suggest
that? Of course she would freak out! Don't
you remember what happened last time?

JESSE

Yeah, but that was three months ago.

DANNY

So what? I don't want Michelle to get hurt.

JESSE

But-

DANNY

No buts, Jesse. I'm not letting her ride
a horse.

Jesse turns to Becky and Joey.

JESSE

Someone help me here.

They quickly put their hands up in defeat.

Jesse groans.

JESSE

Wimps.

Jesse turns back to Danny.

JESSE

Michelle loves riding!

DANNY

She clearly doesn't anymore. She's scared
to ride a a horse. And she should be. I'm her
father and I say no riding. I don't feel ready
to deal with what happened again.

JESSE

But it won't happen again. Why don't you just
take her to the ring-

DANNY

Jesse, I think I've made myself clear. No
riding for a while. Okay?

Jesse reluctantly nods.

JESSE

Okay.

THE NEXT MORNING- IN THE LIVING ROOM

Michelle is playing a video game in front of the TV.

Jesse comes in from the kitchen.

JESSE

Hey, Michelle, I just had an idea. How about
we go out for some ice cream. Just the
two of us.

MICHELLE

Okay, just let me finish this game.

JESSE

No, no, no. The offer ends in three...two...one...

Michelle shuts off the TV.

MICHELLE

Okay, okay. Let's go.

JESSE

Alright.

They go out the door.

IN THE KITCHEN

Joey, Becky, Stephanie, Nicky, Alex, and Danny are in the kitchen.

DANNY

You're all probably wondering why I called
this meeting.

JOEY

Yeah, probably...

DANNY

Well, I saw an uninvited guest in
the kitchen.

STEPH

I thought Kimmy went away to college.

DANNY

This...is worse than Kimmy.

STEPH

(shocked) No! Is that possible?

BECKY

Well, what was it?

DANNY

Are you ready for this?

Danny takes a deep breath.

DANNY

An ant.

Everyone groans.

DANNY

No, I don't want to hear it. We are going to
turn this kitchen upside down, neatly
of course, until we find it. Let's move!

OUTSIDE IN THE PARK

Jesse and Michelle are walking outside.

Michelle is licking an ice cream cone.

They come to the riding ring.

MICHELLE

Hey, what are we doing here?

JESSE

I just thought we'd stop by. But promise
not to tell your dad.

MICHELLE

I said I don't want to ride.

JESSE

You don't have to ride. We're just going
to watch.

MICHELLE

Oh. Okay.

They go sit down on the side of the ring.

They watch the other kids ride for a while.

MICHELLE

I wish I could ride like them.

JESSE

You can.

MICHELLE

But I got hurt last time because I
wasn't good enough.

JESSE

Oh, Michelle, that's not true. You
got hurt because you were riding too fast.
If you go slowly, you're not going to fall off.

MICHELLE

Are you sure?

JESSE

Well...no. But, listen, shorty. Some people
do really dangerous things, and they're
totally fine. Other people get hurt doing
something completely safe. You can never
be really sure, you know?

MICHELLE

But you said if you don't do dangerous
things, you probably won't get hurt, right?

JESSE

Like I said, you never know. But horseback
riding isn't really that dangerous if
you do it right.

Michelle thinks about that.

JESSE

Look, people make mistakes. You were riding too
fast, and you fell off. Once. Remember when you
were two years old, Stephanie gave me a
'pretend' haircut?

MICHELLE

How could I remember? I was two.

JESSE

Right. Well, I was playing beauty parlor
with Stephanie, and she was using real scissors
to give me a pretend haircut. And then Joey made her
laugh, and she ended up snipping off a huge
chunk of my hair.

MICHELLE

(shocked) Really? I can't believe she did that.

JESSE

Yeah, that's exactly what D.J. said. Anyway, I had to
get a real haircut. I was so busy being upset, I wasn't
watching where I was going, and I crashed.

MICHELLE

(wide-eyed) Whoa...

JESSE

I had to get a cast on both arms.

MICHELLE

Wow.

JESSE

So you see what I'm saying? I was an
expert bike rider, but I crashed. You're good at horseback
riding, but you fell off. And you got hurt. No matter how
good someone might be at something, they could
make a mistake, which might even kill them. You're lucky
you weren't too badly hurt.

MICHELLE

What if this time I get badly hurt?

JESSE

Well, you got to take that chance. Do you love riding?

MICHELLE

I guess. Well, I did before.

JESSE

Then you can't let your fear stop you. You know,
on my sixteenth birthday, your mom got me my
first motorcycle. Everyday, I would ride it to and from
school, and pretty much every other time I left the
house. But then one day, this guy rear-ended
me, and I went flying into a ditch-

MICHELLE

Uncle Jesse, are these stories supposed to make
me feel better? Because they're just scaring me.

JESSE

Let me finish. Anyway, I didn't get seriously
hurt, just a few cuts and bruises, but I told myself
I would never get on a bike ever again.

MICHELLE

But you ride your motorcycle all the time.

JESSE

That's the thing, see? After a while, I realized
I was missing out on something I loved. So when
my friends invited me to go to Lake Tahoe, I went
with them. And let me tell you, Michelle. It felt great to
be doing something I loved again. And trust me,
you're going to feel exactly the same way when you get back
on that horse. But look, it's up to you.

Michelle thinks for a moment.

MICHELLE

Okay. I'll try.

JESSE

Alright.

MICHELLE

But promise you'll stay next to me the
whole time.

JESSE

Sure, Munchkin.

Michelle gives him a smile.

IN THE KITCHEN

Becky, Joey, Stephanie, Nicky, and Alex are tossing things around, looking for the ant.

Danny walks in.

DANNY

What happened?!

Becky looks up quickly.

BECKY

Oh, uh, Danny. We were just looking
for that ant.

DANNY

This place is a mess!

NICKY

You said turn the kitchen upside down.

DANNY

I said neatly!

JOEY

Well, at least we found something.

BECKY

We did?

JOEY

Sure. My lucky cupcake.

Joey holds up a moldy cupcake.

JOEY

I hid it somewhere six years ago,
so I wouldn't want to eat it.

Joey examines the cupcake.

JOEY

Well, the luck must have run out
by now. And it still looks good.

Joey takes a bite.

Everyone groans.

JOEY

Yep. (chewing) Still great.

BECKY

(disgusted) Well, uh, anyway, we
didn't find the ant.

DANNY

We'd better call an exterminator.

JOEY

For one ant?

DANNY

One ant means there's probably crumbs on my
floor, which could attract other ants, which could attract
cockroaches and mice, which could attract racoons
and stray cats, which could attract wombats and
rabid dogs, which could attract lions and tigers
and bears, oh my!

Danny rushes to the phone.

JOEY

(whispering to Becky) He needs therapy.

BECKY

Either that or he's been watching too much
'Wizard of Oz'.

IN THE RIDING RING

Michelle is sitting on a small horse.

Jesse walks over, wiping off Michelle's helmet.

Jesse puts the helmet on her head.

JESSE

Okay, Michelle, I got you the smallest
horse they had.

Jesse looks at the horse.

JESSE

It's practically a donkey.

The horse whinnies.

JESSE

No offense.

The horse stomps the ground.

JESSE

Alright, Munchkin. You can do this.

Michelle looks determined.

MICHELLE

Okay. Let's go.

Jesse leads the horse to take a few steps.

JESSE

Ready to go a little faster?

MICHELLE

Can you let go?

JESSE

Already? Are you sure?

MICHELLE

Yeah.

Jesse lets go of reins.

Suddenly, the horse gallops away.

JESSE

Michelle!

The horse keeps galloping.

JESSE

Michelle! Uh...stop! Heel! Stay!

Michelle starts riding the horse freely, like she used to.

Jesse watches helplessly.

The horse comes to a stop.

Jesse runs over.

JESSE

Michelle. Are you okay? Are you hurt?
I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have let go.

Michelle starts laughing.

MICHELLE

That was awesome!

JESSE

(confused) Huh?

MICHELLE

You were right, Uncle Jesse.

JESSE

Oh. Of course I was right...What
did I say?

MICHELLE

It felt great to ride a horse again.
And I didn't even get hurt.

JESSE

Oh. Well, that's wonderful, Michelle.
I told you you could trust me.

Michelle jumps off the horse and hugs Jesse.

MICHELLE

Let's go tell dad. He'll be proud of me.

Jesse chuckles nervously.

JESSE

Oh, right. Danny. Hopefully, he'll see
the...humor in this situation.

Cuts to Jesse and Danny in the kitchen.

DANNY

You took her horseback riding?!

JESSE

Danny, listen-

DANNY

I told you not to!

JESSE

Yeah, but-

DANNY

I specifically said I don't want her
riding for a while!

JESSE

But she-

DANNY

How could you disobey me like that?!

JESSE

Danny-

DANNY

I am her father and I am the one who
makes decisions around here!

JESSE

But-

DANNY

No buts! I can't believe you! You had
no right to take her to the ring after I
told you not to! You're grounded! Go
to your room!

Jesse gives him a confused look.

Danny groans and slumps in a chair.

DANNY

I'm going crazy. I just grounded a
thirty-two year old.

JESSE

Can I speak now?

DANNY

Sorry. Go ahead.

JESSE

Okay, look. I know you said you don't want
her to go horseback riding. But I know
you. You're... a little more than a little
overprotective of your kids.

Danny sighs.

JESSE

And I know Michelle is your daughter, not mine.
But I'm a father, too. I've been one for more than
five years. Heck, I have almost as many kids as you.
And I would never let Michelle do anything that I don't
feel is safe for my own children.

DANNY

Oh, I know you wouldn't. It's just that,
well, you know, with D.J. gone to college...

JESSE

You feel like you have to protect the babies you
have left, before they're gone, too.

DANNY

Michelle is my last little girl. If anything happened to her...

JESSE

Danny, I get it. I know how you feel. But you
can't keep her in a bubble forever. You got to
let her live. You should have seen her face
when she started riding freely again. It was like she
had come out of her shell.

DANNY

I guess you're right. I'm sorry.

They hug.

DANNY

(smiling) But you're still grounded.

JESSE

(smiling back) You got it, dad.

THAT AFTERNOON- IN THE KITCHEN

Michelle walks in.

MICHELLE

Ant!

Everyone runs in.

DANNY

What? Where? Kill it!

MICHELLE

It's right...oh. It's gone.

Danny groans.

DANNY

I can't believe the exterminator was
busy on a Sunday.

Jesse clears his throat.

JESSE

Ahem. You happen to be looking at
San Francisco's eleventh top exterminator
under thirty.

BECKY

Under thirty?

Jesse thinks for a second.

JESSE

Well, that was eight years ago...but I
think I have some stuff left in the attic. Wait here.

Jesse runs upstairs.

Michelle turns to Danny.

MICHELLE

Dad, can we go back to the ring?

DANNY

Michelle, you were just there.

MICHELLE

But I haven't been there for three
months. Me and Pepper-mill need to catch up.

Danny looks worried.

DANNY

Well, Michelle, I really don't think it's safe...

Michelle looks disappointed.

Danny sighs.

DANNY

You know what, sure. We'll go right
after we get rid of this ant.

Michelle looks delighted.

DANNY

Maybe your Uncle Jesse was right.
Maybe I was being a little too overprotective.
I'm sorry, Michelle.

MICHELLE

That's okay. You're cured now, so everything's cool.

Danny laughs.

Jesse comes running down the stairs.

JESSE

Okay, I got it. Watch this.

Jesse puts a piece of paper down on the ground.

They wait.

BECKY

What's that?

JESSE

Ant paper.

They keep waiting.

STEPH

And why are we supposed to watch it?

JESSE

Just wait. Ants have tiny legs.

Everyone leaves.

Danny calls Michelle back into the kitchen.

DANNY

Michelle. Hold on a minute. I want to
talk to you.

Michelle comes back in.

They sit down in chairs.

DANNY

Okay, um...do you remember a few weeks
after your accident, I told you that you that I
never want you to ride a horse again?

MICHELLE

Yeah...

DANNY

Well, um, how do I say this? When your
Uncle Jesse told me that he took you to the ring,
I was so angry that he had disobeyed me, but you know,
he did a good thing. He helped you get over
your fear. And I guess I learned something, too.
I can always trust uncle Jesse. He knows
what's best for you.

MICHELLE

I thought you already knew that.

DANNY

To be honest, Michelle, there was always a
little part of me that wondered if he really knew
what he was doing. But he's been living with us
for almost nine years now. He has a wife, and his
own kids. He's a father, too.

Michelle nods.

DANNY

I mean, when he first moved in, he was a reckless punk.
Back then, that little part wasn't so little.
But I've learned to trust him. Now I know he would
never do anything that could possibly hurt you girls.

MICHELLE

I know that, too.

DANNY

I guess what I'm trying to say is...always
trust him. Trust me, and Aunt Becky, and Joey,
too...we know what we're doing.

MICHELLE

But can't horseback riding still hurt me?

DANNY

Well...do you love riding?

MICHELLE

Yeah...

DANNY

Then you can't let your fear stop you.

MICHELLE

(confused) That's exactly what Uncle Jesse
told me. Do you grown-ups have, like, secret
meetings after we go to sleep, to discuss
what lessons you're going to teach
your kids tomorrow?

DANNY

You'll have to wait until you're a grown-up
to find out.

Danny laughs.

They hug.

Danny yelps.

DANNY

Jesse! Get in here!

Jesse runs in.

JESSE

What? What's wrong?

Danny points to the ant paper, which has ants all over it.

DANNY

Your ant paper was supposed to get rid of the ant,
but now it thinks he and his little friends have
a poker night in our kitchen.

JESSE

Oh, um, uh, well, uh...this never happened
when my dad used it. What should I do?

DANNY

Jesse, I want your
opinion on this situation. What do you think
we should do?

Jesse looks confused.

JESSE

Uh...I don't know, you're the one who
makes decisions around here.

DANNY

Not anymore. We're all in this together. We
all have to make the decisions.

JESSE

(confused) What are you talking about?
Just tell me what to do about the ants.

DANNY

Today, you made me realize that I
didn't trust you enough. And I'm really
sorry for that. I know that you want the best
for my children.

JESSE

Danny, we're talking about a few ants
here, not your children.

DANNY

I know, but I just wanted to tell you that.

Jesse smiles.

They hug.

DANNY

Okay, back to the ants. Do something
about them!

JESSE

Okay, uh, now that they're all
here, I can use the ant spray.

DANNY

(confused) Ant spray?

JESSE

Yeah. I'll be right back.

Jesse runs up the stairs.

He runs down a few moments later.

JESSE

Watch and be amazed.

Jesse sprays the ants.

The ants stop moving.

DANNY

Jesse, that's amazing! What's in that stuff?

JESSE

Family recipe.

MICHELLE
(yes, she's still in the kitchen, she never left)

Well, now that that's all taken care of,
let's go riding.

DANNY

I have an idea. Why don't we all go.
A nice little family outing.

JESSE

No, no, no, no, no. I don't ride horses.

MICHELLE

Aw, come on, Uncle Jesse, it'll be fun.

JESSE

Getting thrown in the mud by a four-legged
flee-ball is fun?

MICHELLE

You'll never know if you don't try.
Just because it happened once-

JESSE

Once?

MICHELLE

A few times-

JESSE

A few times?

MICHELLE

Every single time you got on a horse,
doesn't mean it's going to happen this time.

JESSE

Oh...I hate being blackmailed with my
own speeches. Okay. I'll do it.

Michelle smiles triumphantly.

MICHELLE

Let's go.

THAT EVENING- IN THE RIDING RING

(Background music: Good Day, Sunshine)

(apparently, that is a horse-riding song. It played while D.J. rode Rocket, so, yeah. idk =P)

Michelle is galloping on Pepper-mill.

Good day sunshine,
Good day sunshine...
I need to laugh, and when the sun is out
I've got something I can laugh about,
I feel good, in a special way,
I'm in love and it's a sunny day.

Jesse is falling off his horse and failing to ride, while Becky watches, laughing.

Good day sunshine,
Good day sunshine.
We take a walk, the sun is shining down,
Burns my feet as they touch the ground.

Stephanie gives her horse a carrot. =P

And then we lie, beneath a shady tree,
I love her and she's loving me.
She feels good, she knows she's looking fine.
I'm so proud to know that she is mine.

Nicky and Alex pet their horse.

Good day sunshine,
Good day sunshine,
Good day sunshine.

Zooms out to sunset.

-END TUNE-