Rugrats and the Gray Plague
Premiss:
When a terrible Flu epidemic comes to town, will it change the Rugrats lives forever?
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Rugrats, or any other TV show that should cross over into this story, and this goes for any future chapters posted about this particular story. The characters are the property of their original creaters, unless otherwise stated.
NOTE: Starting in chapter 6, and going onwards till the end of the story, 2 new characters appear regularly. Myself, known in the story as Aunty Celeste, and my nephew Zachary. Everything is true about us except we don't live where the Rugrats live in reality, nor does Zack live alone with me, making me his care provider, and, I don't have a driverless car. Also, in reality, Zack isn't crawling yet at the time this story was written, but in the story, he is.
Recap of Chapter 9: At the beginning of the chapter, Chuckie, Zack and Kimmi come over to play with Tommy and Dil. Tommy and Chuckie make up from the fight that went down the day before, and everybody enjoys a Reptar video. After the video, Angelica comes over, and tries to get the babies to judge her Cynthia fashion show. Kimmi and Zack keep Angelica busy while Tommy and Chuckie head down to the basement, in search of his missing screwdriver. While searching for it though, Tommy starts to not feel good, and passes out. Zack and Chuckie end up finding the screwdriver, and Zack puts it into his diaper for safe keeping. Meanwhile, when Stu goes to get Tommy from the basement, he accidentaly drops Dil on to the kitchen floor, splitting the back of his head open, making Didi so angry, that she decides to get a divorce. Angelica's happy about this, cuz this means she won't have to come over and play with those dumb babies anymore. And when Drew shows up to pick up Angelica, he gets into a fight with Stu, and they stop speaking to one another. Didi gets the boys to the hospital, and while they're able to put stitches into Dil's head, making him ok again, Tommy is once again on life support, and because he missed the majority of his doses of medicine, there wasn't much more the doctors could do once Tommy was breathing on his own again, except give him a pendant to wear that would go off when he had an episode, and wait for another batch of Gray Plague vaccines to come in, as at this rate, that's the only thing that will surely cure Tommy. The chapter ends with Didi packing up her, Tommy and Dil's stuff to move out of the house. Betty and Celeste try to talk her out of it, but Didi has made up her mind, and is convinced, she can be a single parent, and get her Master's degree at college. Meanwhile, Zack not only gets Tommy's screwdriver returned to him, by placing it into one of the boxes Didi was packing up to take with them, but he's made friends with Tommy, Phil and Lil, as well as Chuckie and Kimmi, and has learned a very valuable lesson in friendship. Don't judge a baby by its cover. So now what will happen? Will things get better for the rugrats and their families? Let's find out, in chapter 10!
Chapter 10
This chapter takes place, 3 months later after the events of chapters 1 through 9. Within that time, Didi has started school, and has moved into an apartment on campus with her 2 boys, Tommy and Dil. Tommy has had several more times, in and out of the hospital, as they wait for him to get that vaccination, and while his mommy is at class, Taffy, who is going to high school, and taking a couple of classes on campus for the college experience, comes to babysit Tommy and Dil while Didi's in class. Meanwhile, Phil and Lil have turned 2-years-old within this time, but Betty and Howard didn't plan a huge party, because they decided for their birthday, to take them to Twin Canyon for the very first time. Chuckie and Kimmi continue to play with Zachary, and Aunty Celeste has charge of the Finster kids, almost every day for a few hours, while Kira and Chaz are busy working at The Java Lava, and poor Betty, how she'd give anything for Stu and Didi to get back together. She awakens every single morning to find Stu sleepwalking through her yard, and kissing her windows. And then, there's Drew. He can't stand to take Angelica over to play at Susie Carmichael's, because she lives across the street from Tommy's old house, which is now Stu's bachelor pad. Drew is so afraid that Stu will spot him, and they'll start fighting again. Didi finds it hard to live on the college campus, with the majority of the other residents, being half her age. She keeps playing with the idea of getting back together with Stu, but she's not sure if she really wants to do this. And poor Tommy, he's grown depressed, and lost all hope of getting better and his love for adventure. There's no good place to play outside at his mommy's school, and their home now is so much smaller than what they use to have. Not only that, but he also misses Spike, who had to stay behind with daddy. Turning 2 does not excite Tommy, but rather, with what he's been through as of late, he's worried the Terrible 2's for him, will be more terribler than usual. On a happier note though, within this 3 months period, Betty and Kira have resolved their differences, allowing Chuckie and Kimmi to play with Phil and Lil again.
It is now the evening of Tommy's second Birthday, and Aunty Celeste's driverless car, pulls into the drive in movie parking lot. Chuckie, Kimmi, and Zack are sitting in back. Looking around, Chuckie exclaims excitedly, "Hey guys, look, we're at the parking lot movie! That's the place where we watch movies in the car! The last time I came here was with Tommy, Phil, Lil, Dil, and Angelica to see Runaway Reptar." "Wow! Sounds neat!" Exclaimed Kimmi. "I've never been to the parking lot movie before, this is gonna be fun!" She added. "I agree!" Added Zack with a smile. "Say, what's that thing on your aunty's head?" Asked Kimmi, pointing to Aunty Celeste's head, where she was wearing a pair of headphones. "Those are special headphones that tell my aunty what's going on in the movie, because she can't see," replied Zack. As Celeste gets the speaker set up in the window of the backseat of the car, she says, "We're here for Tommy's second Birthday, and to see The Land without Smiles II, a Dummy Bears movie. Apparently, it's a sequel to the first one, The Land without Smiles." "Oh yeah, I remember that movie," said Chuckie to Celeste. "I went to see that at a regular movie theater with Tommy, Phil and Lil, but Tommy was more interested in looking for Reptar, so we never saw the movie," he added.
Everyone else starts to pull into the drive in movie. Stu, Angelica and her family, Boris and Minka, Lou and Lulu, the Devilles and the Carmichaels. "Where's the guest of honor?" Asks Howard as he looks over at Betty. "Beats me!" She replied. Back at the university, Didi is finishing up a class. As the class lets out, she looks at her watch. "Oh my gosh, we're gonna be late!" She exclaimed. She gets Taffy, Tommy and Dil into the car, and they drive as fast as they can to get to the movies. "I would have rather gone to a happier movie, but this was the only thing playing that was rated PG," Didi said to Taffy as they were driving. "And, with doing Tommy's Birthday in this way, if Tommy has to be rushed to the hospital, there's no party to clean up, we can just, leave the parking lot." Didi added. They arrive, just as the movie is starting.
During the movie, a text message comes across Didi's phone. It's from the hospital, claiming that Tommy's name has been moved up on the Gray Plague vaccination list, and to bring him in right away, but obviously, Didi doesn't see this message, until after the movie. After the movie though, Didi sets up a small table with a Birthday cake and drinks on a field that's over to the side of the parking lot. Betty already agreed to clean up if Tommy should have to be rushed to the hospital. The babies have all congregated together on the grass at this point. "Wasn't that a good movie?" Asked Kimmi to the group. Tommy sighs with a frown. "The only thing that will make me happy, is to not have this Gray Plague anymore." Everybody was up and talking, that is, everybody that was currently speaking to one another, and eating on Birthday cake. It was at this time that Didi checked her phone, and saw the text message. She was so excited, that she clapped her hands, and got everyone's attention. "Exciting news everyone, there's a vaccination ready for Tommy. We'll post pone the party to take place at another time." As she gathered up Tommy and Dil, and rushed to the car to head to the hospital. Everyone else decides to leave the drive in at this time too, since the movie was over.
While on the way to the hospital, Didi gets a flat tire. She's panicking, and not sure what to do. "I've never changed a tire before," cried Didi. "Neither have I," agreed Taffy. "Even when my band, Taffy and the Sault Waters has gone on tour, we've luckily, never had a flat tire." All of the sudden, Stu happens to pull up behind them. He gets out of his car, and races over to Didi's. "Didi, you and Tommy get into my car and head to the hospital, I'll change your tire and get Taffy and Dil home," said Stu. Didi wasn't wild about this, but she knew she had no choice, so she grabbed Tommy, got into Stu's car, and they were off. Didi and Tommy head to the hospital. Tommy smiles for the first time in weeks, as Didi carries him through the hallways to the Gray Plague section. "I hope this works," Tommy thinks as they're headed to the vaccination room. A nurse greets them. "Glad to see you made it," she said with a smile. "Let's get you all settled in." She added, taking Tommy, and getting him changed into a hospital gown. Meanwhile, Lucy Carmichael shows up at the hospital to give Tommy the vaccination, despite having to get passed Stu on the road, fixing Didi's flat tire.
They put Tommy under for this vaccination, since they don't wish to mess anything up, seeing the condition that Tommy has been in as of late, and this vaccination, is his only chance, for being rid of this plague for good. While Tommy is asleep, he has one last dream with that nasty cloud in it. "Hate to break it to you stupid cloud, but Gray Plague, let you be gone!" Cried out Tommy. The cloud just laughed at him. "Oh? And who's going to do that?" Tommy answered, "Reptar!" Suddenly, Reptar appears, and, it's Reptar versus the Gray Plague. He grabs a hold of that cloud, roars, and destroys it by throwing it into Mount Fugi, the volcano that was in the Runaway Reptar movie. As the volcano shoots up fireworks in honor of destroying the cloud, Tommy wakes up in the hospital, with Dr. Carmichael staring down at him with a smile on her face. "It's all over Tommy, you're finally cured, of the Gray Plague." She said. Tommy has a bandage on his arm, and feels soar, but he's also smiling, and is the happiest he's been in weeks. "Yay! I'm all better!" He said with a smile, sitting up in bed.
Meanwhile, Stu shows up at the hospital, to see how Tommy is doing, and to let Didi know that he changed her tire, and that Dil and Taffy were back at her apartment at the university. Didi smiles at Stu. "Thank you Stu, you saved our son." "You mean it honey? You want to come home?" Stu asked. "Yes I do Stu," she says, kissing him on the cheak and giving him a hug.
That weekend, they loaded up a you-hall, and Didi, Tommy and Dil, move back into their old house with Stu. "Spike!" Tommy cried, as he runs up to him in the yard, licking his face. In excitement, Tommy hops on his back and they go for a ride.
A week later, everybody is gathered in Tommy's backyard, where they're having a party, to celebrate Tommy's second Birthday and his survival of the Gray Plague, and the reuniting of Stu and Didi. Didi and Stu are up near the house. "We'd just like to say we're very thankful to have Tommy, all cured of the Gray Plague," said Didi. "And I for one am glad to have my wife and boys back, and I'm sorry to everybody I've hurt over the last few months," added Stu. Drew comes up to Stu, forgives him and gives him a hug. Down in the yard, the babies are all gathered around one another on the grass. "It's great to have you back," said Zack. "We've missed you Tommy," added Chuckie. "I've missed you too," said Tommy. "It's great we're all together again!" Exclaimed Kimmi, as everybody gives one another a group hug.
"So what are we gonna do now?" Asked Zack. "Let's pick dandelions," replied Chuckie. "Chuckie, we can't spend our day just picking dandelions," replied Tommy. "And why not?" Asked Chuckie. "Because everyday is an adventure," Tommy said as he hopped into the front of the Reptar wagon up by the steering wheel. "And should something like the Gray Plague come along, it could end your adventures forever and ever. So make sure you go on all of the adventures you can, cuz life, is an adventure! So let's go!" Added Tommy. The other babies, Phil, Lil, Zack, Chuckie, Kimmi, and Dil, all exclaim, "We baby's gotta do what we baby's gotta do," as they all pile into the wagon, and the babies drive off in the backyard, imagining they're driving on the open road, into the sunset.
The End
This concludes the story, of The Rugrats, and the Gray Plague. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I've been dreaming up the story in my head for the past 6 months, so it felt nice to finally write it down, and, I can assure you, that there will be more Rugrats fanfics, to come, so Rugrat fans, please check back often, to see if a new story has been posted! And feel free to leave me feedback, or to give me any ideas, I'd love to hear from you.