Thanks for continuing to make 'Lucy' so popular. Your reviews/favorites/alerts are great encouragement for my muse. I know I haven't replied to all the reviews. I didn't forget them, and I'll reply as soon as I can!

For Julia and her ceaseless amazingness.

Enjoy!

VVVVV

"Luce, it's time to get you changed," Lindsay said when she entered Lucy's room a few minutes later.

Lucy was still talking up a storm, telling her godparents all about her new big girl bed.

"Your friends are gonna be here soon," Lindsay said in an effort to hurry things along.

"And then we can start my party?"

"Yes," Lindsay nodded.

"Yes!" Lucy exclaimed, bouncing.

Lindsay moved to the closet. "You still want to wear your new purple shirt?"

"Uh-huh! Purple's my favorite color!"

"I know," Lindsay said, pulling the shirt from the closet along with a pair of Lucy's jeans. "You tell me almost every day!"

"It's 'cause you might forget," Lucy giggled.

"Oh, really?" Lindsay laughed lightly.

"Uh-huh," Lucy nodded, pulling one arm through the sleeve of her 'dress.'

"Let's see if we can help Danny while they're finishing up in here," Stella said to Mac.

"Yeah," Mac agreed, following her from the room.

VVVVV

Thirty minutes later, the place was teeming with rambunctious five- and six-year-olds.

"Now this is a zoo," Danny smirked, watching the kids chase each other around the room.

"Tell me about it!" Lindsay sighed exasperatedly. "Where is Adam? He said he'd be here!"

"He probably got lost," Danny supplied.

"He's been here a million times, Danny. What if something happened to him?"

"Yeah, way to be optimistic there, 'Tana. I'll call him and see where he is." Danny pulled out his phone--because who in New York City still had a landline?--and dialed Adam's number. After a few seconds, Danny spoke. "Yo, Adam, man, where are you?" He listened to Adam's response then continued. "Yeah, Lindsay's goin' bananas. Get here as soon as you can. You're kind of our party entertainment."

"So?" Lindsay asked when Danny put the phone back in his pocket.

"He forgot to get Lucy a present, so he was looking for the 'perfect' one and lost track of time. He'll be here soon. We'll just have to improvise until he gets here."

The kids were in their second round of The Limbo--all twelve kids still in the game--when the door buzzer sounded again. Lindsay, who'd been taking pictures as Mac and Stella held each end of the Limbo stick, put down the camera and went to open the door.

"Pizza's here!" Lindsay said a couple of minutes later after she'd paid for the food and closed the door.

The kids, of course, were more interested in pizza and quickly abandoned their game of Limbo. They all shouted their pizza choices, their shrill voices running together.

"Yo!" Danny said loudly enough to get the kids' attention. When he spoke again, his tone was softer, yet still authoritative. "Everyone's gonna get some pizza. We just have to take turns. Now, who's first?" he finished, hands clapping together.

As the choruses of "Me!" and "I do!" resounded, Stella snickered at Danny.

"Did you really think they'd answer you one-at-a-time?" she asked.

"You gonna criticize or help?" Danny countered jokingly.

Stella smirked and quirked an eyebrow at him, then said, "Everyone who wants cheese pizza, come to me. Anyone who wants pepperoni go to Danny."

The kids separated with relative ease, half wanting cheese, the other half wanting pepperoni. And even though Danny and Mac had set up a table for the kids, most of them decided they'd rather sit on the floor in a circle.

Stella glanced at Mac and noticed his grin. "What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"What it was like to be six and how fun it was to sit on the floor."

"You can join them," Stella quipped.

"Uh, no," Mac chuckled and glanced at Lucy, only to find her looking at him.

She waved in their direction, and both Mac and Stella waved back.

"That's my Uncle Mac and Aunt Stella," Lucy beamed as she told her friends.

VVVVV

Finally, Adam arrived, ducking his head and refusing to look Lindsay in the eye.

"Sorry, Linds," he apologized sheepishly. "But if it's any consolation, I got Lucy an excellent present," he grinned, handing Lindsay a pink gift bag, overflowing with what appeared to be an entire package of tissue paper.

"Geez, Adam, what'd you get her, bricks?" Lindsay said, commenting on the weight of the bag.

"It's, uh, a surprise," Adam stuttered. "But I think she'll love it."

"She'll have to just look at it, because I'm not sure she can lift it!" Lindsay loosened up and teased, unable to stay mad at Adam any longer.

"Eh, she'll be fine," Adam replied, visibly relieved that Lindsay had forgiven him so quickly. "So, are you ready for--" he put his hands on his hips and finished in his best 'superhero' voice, "--Balloon Man?"

"We've been waiting on balloon man for an hour," Danny told him, clapping him on the back. "I hope you're ready, man, because patience isn't in these kids' vocabulary."

Adam grinned. "Bring it on, kidlets!"

Lindsay shook her head in amusement and led Adam further into the room. "You have no idea what you've just stepped into, Ross."

Adam's nervous laughter was enough to draw Lucy's attention, and she sped toward him.

"Lucy!" Danny exclaimed, sensing what was about to happen and knowing Lindsay would likely scream if Lucy tackle-hugged another person.

Lucy skidded to a halt just in front of Adam then wrapped her arms around his waist in a quick, polite hug. "Hi, Uncle Adam. Thanks for coming to my party."

"You betcha, kid," he said, ruffling her hair.

"Uncle Adam!" Lucy whined, ducking away from him.

"Sorry, Lucy," Adam grinned as he opened one of the bags he'd brought. "Let me make it up to you by making you a balloon animal! I can do hats, swords, and flowers, too."

"Yay!" Lucy squealed as she jumped excitedly. "Can I have a hat and a sword?"

"Well, it is your birthday, so I guess so. Which do you want first?"

"Why does she get to go first?" a little boy pouted.

"'Cause it's my birthday, stupid-head," Lucy shot back, sticking out her tongue for added effect.

"Lucy Messer!" Lindsay exclaimed. "We don't tolerate name-calling or sticking out your tongue. Apologize to Brady right now!"

"Sorry," Lucy mumbled grudgingly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I didn't even know you made things outta balloons," Danny said to Adam once the spat passed and all the kids got the balloon object of their choice.

Adam laughed. "I started in high school. It was easy money, and it got me a lot of girls."

"You mean I wasted all those years playing baseball trying to attract girls when all I had to do was make dogs and swords out of balloons?" Danny smirked.

"Yeah, pretty much," Adam replied.

"Hey," Stella said, "anyone know where Lucy is?"

VVVVV

Thanks for reading!