Disclaimer: I do no own Cheaper by the Dozen. If I did, I would have made a third movie with Alyson Stoner, Taylor Lautner and the Sprouse twins!!!
Questions and Answers, Part 1
Sarah and Eliot hung out most of the rest of the day together. Little did she know that her whole family had seen her rescue the little boy from the kayak. Sarah jumped on the front of the kayak and Eliot paddled them out to a little gazebo in the woods. They jumped off and tied it up.
"Wow, it's so pretty here," she said, looking up at the tall trees and the quite lake.
"Yeah, it is. I've been coming here since I was three, and this is the only place to go without people bugging you," he replied. Sarah was looking up at the now-setting sun.
"Think we should get home?" she asked him as she got into the kayak.
"Probably. My dad will be waiting for me soon," he said.
"What's your dad's name?" she asked.
"Jimmy," said Eliot. Sarah gasped and fell out of the kayak.
"Jimmy Murtaugh?? My dad speaks… how should I put it…" said Sarah, wiping her eyes and getting back in the boat.
"Ahh, I get it! Your dad is Tom Baker then. Ha," said Eliot.
"What's funny?" she asked.
"They've hated each other since high school. Something about my dad always having the girls or something--- no offence!" Eliot said with all sincerity. Damn it, Murtaugh, your words aren't coming out right! Since when have I ever stumbled or stuttered in front of a girl… he thought. Eliot pulled the up to the dock, tied it an helped Sarah out. The began walking down the trail towards her house. Sarah laughed at his choice of words.
"It's no problem. That's basically all my dad says when we talk about it," she replied. Eliot stopped walking and looked at her.
"Do you maybe umm… want to go see a movie, uh, with me? On Saturday?" he asked. Smooth, Murtaugh. She'll think you're in idiot. Sarah looked surprised.
"Yes! I mean, yeah, I just, um, have to ask my dad. He'll probably say yes," she said. She walked up to her porch.
"I gotta go. I'll see you around then? Maybe tomorrow morning or something?" he asked.
"Yeah, Jake and I were gonna ask dad if we could water ski or something. You could wait on the dock for us," she said.
"Sure, I was gonna fish with Kenneth anyways. See you tomorrow!" he said, waving and walking off happily.
Upstairs in Jake and Sarah's Room
Sarah closed the door and sighed happily. She went up to her room to find Jake sitting reading a magazine.
"I thought said you were gonna come down to the jetty," she said to Jake. Jake looked up at Sarah.
"Yeah, I was, but then I got tired I guess. And you were hanging out with that guy, too. What's his name?" asked Jake, digging for details, knowing his twin was going to tell him. She knew perfectly well what he was up to, even if he didn't know it himself.
"Eliot Murtaugh. You remember Jimmy Murtaugh, the one in high school that dad always talks about? That's his son. He's 14," she said, hiding her happiness.
"Cool. I saw you get that kid, too," he said.
"Oh, Kenneth? Yeah, Eliot turned away and next thing he knew Kenneth was floating in the middle of the lake without a paddle. Why Eliot didn't get him himself—you were looking at what I was doing????" she asked curiosly.
"Uh, ermmm… uh… no?" he said.
"Jake…"
"Fine! I was. I saw you running down the dock when I was eating lunch. I went out on the deck to see what was happening. I thought something was really wrong!" he lied. Jake knew that he was looking because he was jealous. I thought she wasn't into liking guys right now. And why didn't she wait for me before going off with him? She must have just forgotten about me… he thought sadly.
"Whatever, Jake. I have to go ask dad if I can go---," she stopped herself. She didn't need any more teasing that was going to come her way, "If I can go over to the gazebo across the lake," she lied. She was a bit annoyed that Jake had been spying on her, but happy that she was with Eliot nonetheless.
Downstairs with Tom and the rest of the gang
"So, this chart is your life! You WILL live by it for the next week and we WILL win!" he said enthusiastically. All the kids groaned.
"Not the Labor Day Cup again!" cried Charlie. He had been through it 2 times before, and they were all rough.
"Come on, it'll be fun guys!" said Tom.
"Dad, that's what you say every time we've ever done it," Henry pointed out.
"Yeah, but this time will be different. We'll beat the Smiths, the Burnells, the Murtaugh and everyone else!!!" Tom yelled. Everyone other than him in the room were thinking the same thing: 'He's beyond insanity, he's gone past a place he can't return!'
"Why do you make such a big deal out of it anyways????" asked Kate, seeing her children's reaction to this.
"Because every year the Murtaugh's beat us by a smidgen more! I want to beat them this year. We will have to have ground rules," he started. Lorraine interrupted.
"Okay, but can I just get one thing straight? I do plan on living to see the end of this vacation, so underneath the list of things we can do, put 'breathe' okay? Thanks," she said. Everyone laughed at her snide comment. Tom looked at her seriously.
"Well, if everyone feels that way, I might not be able to fill that request," he said. The children looked at him horrorstruck.
"So! Ground rule number one: You will practice with me and your teammates when I say so. Rule number two: You will get up at 7:30am every morning. You will shower and be ready to train by 8. Rule number three: You will do what I say, when I say. Rule number four: You will be home in time for dinner. Rule number five: Try and have some fun!" he said cheerfully. All the kids rolled their eyes.
"Yeah, cuz having fun is gonna be so easy since you've left us so rule free this trip, dad," said Charlie sarcastically. He enjoyed the lake, but not when his dad went crazy like this about the Labor Day Cup. And anyways, he wanted to catch up with some old friends.
"And break!" Tom said, as if ending a football huddle.
"Yeah, yeah,"
"Sure thing,"
"This'll be fun,"
"Wonderful…" were his sarcastic responses. Kate looked at him with one eyebrow raised.
"Tom, don't you think you're going a bit overboard?" she asked him.
"No! This year we're going to win!" he cried. Kate sighed and went into the kitchen. Sarah 'walked' down the stairs (A/N- She had been sitting there the whole time, remember!) and followed her mother into the kitchen.
"Uh, mom?" she asked uneasily.
