(A/N: This chapter, and the next one, will be based on "The Family Tree". Enjoy!)

Could It Be?

Ch. 13

At a special party, which was for Stu and Didi's anniversary, the adults sang "Happy Anniversary" for them, then the couple of the hour blew out the candles on the tall cake, so everyone cheered.

The toddlers sneaked a peek from under the table, then went back to hiding. "I don't think it's my mommy's birfday," Tommy shook his head, "And I don't think it's my daddy's birfday. And I'm pretty sure it's not my birfday."

"I know! I know!" Chuckie piped up. "Maybe somebody's gettin' married!"

"It's not a wedding!" Angelica glared at them, holding Cynthia in one hand. "It's a nursery party!"

"A nursery party?" Chuckie was confused, as were the others.

"But Tommy's mommy and daddy don't go to nursery school," Shenzi pointed out.

"It's a party to celebate that you've been friends for a long time," Angelica lectured them, "Like since nursery school. Get it?"

"I think so," Tommy replied, "'Cept me and Chuckie have been friends for a long time, and we didn't have a party."

"Yeah! We've been friends..." Chuckie paused to think, "Uh," He tried to count on his fingers, "8... um, forever." He and Tommy then smiled together, and with a huff, Angelica turned away and brushed Cynthia's hair.

Meanwhile, Shenzi's grandmother, Siobhan, was showing Minka Friar Tuck's baby pictures from one of his father's albums. She has served as the former's mother figure since his own passed on before Shenzi's birth. Her own husband had died some time before then. "And this is little Tucky when he was 6 months old. Wasn't he sweet?"

"That's a very unusual climp," Minka remarked. It looked like a bread roll.

"It's actually a puff pastry. His mother baked it herself with a pincher," Siobhan giggled, "According to her, Tucky smelled like butter for a week. Oh! Is that a bun cake?" She walked to the food table, passing by Friar Tuck's father. He beared a strong resemblance to his son, other than the obvious age difference. He was a bit thinner as well.

"Yeah, Becky always went easy on the boy," Henry Tuck chatted with Boris, "Lucky he had me to make him a man. Taught him to swim on his 1st birthday." They headed for the food table. "Tossed him into Lake Michigan with a life preserver."

"We didn't have lakes in the old country," Boris shook his head, "Only puddles in the potato fields."

"Oh Henry, I wish we could've each had more children," Siobhan lamented. The fact that both of her daughters, Maya and Shenzibeth, the latter who was her only grandchild's namesake, had died only worsened her pain.

"Yeah, would've been nice to have a bunch of young'ns running around," He agreed, and they turned to his son.

"It's great that your dad and mother-in-law could make it to the party," Stu walked up to him, "And those pictures are a scream."

"Uh, yeah, yeah, haha," Friar Tuck awkwardly agreed, "I invited them over for this weekend, so they can help me with my family tree I've been working on."

"Congratulations, bro," Drew praised Stu, "Great party."

"What do you mean our credit line fell through?!" Charlotte walked by them, talking on her phone like she always did, and up to her sister-in-law. "Didi, we need a big favor."

"Char, it's their anniversary," Drew came up to her.

"Right, congratulations, many happy years. Look, the Yamaguchi deals hit a snag, and I need to spend the weekend in Tokyo. Drew's gonna have to come with me to work out the kinks in the IPO numbers. Do you think you can watch Angelica?"

"Um, well, I suppose so," Didi agreed.

"Great! Come on, Drew. We can still make the 3:15 flight." She then went back to her phone conversation. "Yes, Hiroshi, I'm on my way."

"Uh, Stu?" Didi tried to call him over, but was too quiet.

"Well Deed," Betty walked up to her. "You made it 5 years. After this, tall gravy."

"Thanks for throwing such a nice anniversary party for us, Betty."

"Ah, it's nothin', Deed. You two deserve it! And not a moment too soon. Howard's getting the house sprayed for bugs tomorrow, and we needed to clean out the cabinets." Howard set a cardboard box on the table, then waved his hand with a sheepish grin after hearing the conversation.

After the DeVilles left her alone, Stu walked up. "Well Deed, now's a good time as any to give you my gift." He took a pamphlet out of his shirt pocket, and gave it to her.

"Oh, Stu!" She looked at the cover, and drew out two tickets. "A cruise to Panteones, Mexico this weekend!" She then remembered her promise to her in-laws. "Oh, but I just told Charlotte we'd watch Angelica."

"But Deed, these tickets are nonrefundable!" Stu protested. "Isn't there someone else who can watch Tommy and Angelica?"

"Well, Pop's off fishing with his friends from the lodge. Chaz and Chuckie will be at Shirley and Marvin's house overnight. Betty's having the house fumigated, and..."

"Ah! Now we have to eat cake," Boris turned to Minka, "When will this end?"

"I know, I know," Minka agreed with his discomfort, "We've been off our feet for an hour already."

"And I don't think my parents are up to it."

"I can't believe we can't find somebody to take care of two great little kids!" Stu vented. Henry and Siobhan overheard him and stopped in their tracks.

l-l

The following weekend, the group bid Stu and Didi farewell before the cruise ship would set sail. "Bye, Tommy!" Stu called out to his son. "Byebye! You're the man of the house now, Tommy!"

"Bye, sweetheart!" Didi bid him farewell. "I love you, Tommy! Buh-bye!"

After the staircase was moved away, the cruise ship started moving with two horn honks. "Bon voyage!" Siobhan waved to the ship with her right hand, carrying a giggling Tommy in her left arm.

Later at the Tuck residence, Shenzi and Tommy were throwing her baby Minnie Mouse ball back and forth, when Angelica walked up to them. "You babies are so lucky! You get to spend an entire weekend with me! That's right; A all-suspenses paid vacation in Angelica Land!" She sighed dreamily, and turned to Tommy. "Sometimes I wish I could be you, just so I can be friends with me." She walked back to the house, and the two toddlers simply went back to their game.

When the doorbell rang, Friar Tuck answered it, and Betty walked in the house with Phil and Lil in her arms. "Hey there, Tucky! How's it goin' with your old man and in-law, huh? Figured since they're giving you a hand, you wouldn't mind if I left my two over here." She took out a gas mask. "Those fumigators don't know what they're doin'." She then put the mask over her face, so her voice was muffled. "Bugs are laughin' at 'em. I figured I'd show 'em how it's done."

"I would, but I'm kind of busy working on my family tree." The twins glanced at each other, now curious. "

Great, great. It's all settled then." They flinched when Betty sat to their level with the mask on her head, before she took it off. "See you two pups later, huh?" She kissed their foreheads, then headed out with the mask back on. "Thanks a lot, buddy boy! I'll be back soon!"

"Uh but, but..." He tried to stop her, but gave in and closed the door. Two more toddlers couldn't hurt, right? At least he had some help this time.

Outside, Angelica was brushing Cynthia's hair as Shenzi and Tommy threw her ball back and forth, when Phil and Lil walked outside. "Yes it is, Philip!"

"No it isn't, Lillian!"

"What're you guys talking about?" Shenzi asked them.

"We're trying to figure out what a family tree is," Lil replied.

"I say it's a mommy, and a daddy, and a baby tree," Phil piped up.

"I think it's a tree where your whole family lives," Lil guessed, and looked up at the tall tree in the backyard, "If you're a monkey."

Angelica walked up to them, leaving Cynthia and her hair brush in the grass. "Don't you babies know nothin'?" They all shook their heads. "A family tree is a tree that babies grow on. Every family gots one."

"But the only tree we gots at our house grows oranges," Phil pointed out.

"They always start out as oranges. Or apples, or topatoes. Then they grow into babies."

"Wow!" The toddlers exclaimed in amazement.

"I bet you I was a apple," Tommy guessed, "I love apple juice."

"I like apple juice too," Shenzi agreed, "I also like apples baked, and sauced."

"And I bet you my family tree had big leaves, 'cause I love to play in piles of big leaves."

"I like doing that too, Tommy!" "Hmm, I think I just figured out why we're such good friends!"

"'Cause we both like apples and big leaves?"

"No, Shenzi. It's 'acause we both must've come from the same family tree. And that's gotta mean we're brothers!" She gasped in awe. "Or, well, brother and sister."

Shenzi thought about the concept for a moment. "Hey, I gots a brother!"

Lil sighed sadly, and looked at her pink shoes. "I wish I had one." She then saw Phil glaring at her. "Oh yeah, I do!"

"Oh brother," Angelica said to herself.

In the house, Friar Tuck was trying to figure out the family tree for both him and Maya, only to find his father asleep on the couch. "Tucky, where are the cookie sheets?" His mother-in-law asked him.

"In the cupboard on the left, Siobhan," Friar Tuck replied, "Can you check on the kids?"

"In a minute, honey. I just need to find the baking powder." She then walked back to the kitchen, leaving him to continue working.

Outside, Shenzi was on her hands and feet. "Come on, sister Shenzi!" He pushed on her backside, so she did a couple of somersaults.

He then helped her stand back on her feet. "Thank you, brother Tommy!"

Angelica walked up to them, "Well, since you two babies are brother and sister now, I guess you're gonna need me to be your big sister. 'Course, then I'll have to show you how to get your daddy to buy you toys, and how to pretend you're crying. Maybe if you're real nice to me, I'll teach you how to get cookies."

"No, uh, we don't need another sister, Angelica," Tommy kindly refused.

"But thanks anyway," Shenzi added, then walked away with her "brother".

On the cruise ship, Stu and Didi were relaxing in deck chairs. "You were right, Stu. I'm glad we did this. It's so romantic."

"Yeah, it sure is, Deed," He agreed with her, "It's just the two of us, enjoying the gentle rocking of the ship, the waves lapping up against the ho, the sweet smell of salt air." He went to kiss her, but she suddenly dashed away, making him fall over in surprise, and threw up over the dock and into the ocean.

At the Tuck house, Siobhan was making teddy bear shaped cookies while the kids played in the yard. At the other side of the tree, Angelica was only with Cynthia. "Oh, so they don't think they need me as a sister, huh?" She vented to her doll. "I'll show 'em, Cynthia. They'll be sorry they ever came off any tree." Just then, the ball hit her head. "Ow!"

The toddlers gasped in fear. "Uh oh," Lil muttered.

Angelica picked the ball up from the grass. "You want your dumb ball? Go get it!" She threw it in the rose bushes.

Shenzi stood up, and headed for the bushes. "I'll get it, brother Tommy."

"It would be my pressure to get it, sister Shenzi," Tommy offered, then walked to the bushes.

In the house, Henry woke up, stretched his muscles, and stood to look out the glass door. "Yeah, takin' care of these little ones is no problem at all. They're as happy as clams." He watched his little granddaughter run in circles with the twins, then spotted Tommy by the bushes by himself. "Except for that little one, who's by himself."

"Huh?" Friar Tuck came to the door, and saw the bald baby alone. "Oh, it's Tommy. I wonder if something's wrong; Maybe he misses Stu and Didi. He must be suffering from separation anxiety. When a child's parents are away for an extended period, he or she will often feel severe loneliness."

"Horse hockey!" Henry brushed it off. "When you were a kid, we left you alone all the time! And you never had a problem with anxiety, did you?" He advanced on his nervous son.

"N-no Dad," He stammered, "But it's extremely important to give the child extra attention. If he or she doesn't get that, it could result in irreversible, psychological damage! I'd better hurry!" He slid the door open and walked outside, gaining Shenzi and the twins' attention so they stopped running.

"Lookee, it's my daddy!" Shenzi exclaimed happily. "He's comin' over to play with me!" She ran over to him with excitement, but stopped when he ran right past her. "Huh?"

Friar Tuck walked to the bush, and picked up a giggling Tommy. "Hey, little fella. Why are you playing all alone? Come on, we'll find something fun to do." He headed for the house.

Shenzi watched, as she tried to hide her disappointment. "I guess he didn't see me."

"Oh, poor Shenzi," Angelia came to her aid, "I knew this would happen."

"What?"

"Well, now that Tommy's your brother, your daddy gots to choose which one of you he's gonna keep. Face it, Shenzi; It's between you and Tommy. And no offense to you, but Tommy's a much better baby."

"No way, Angelica," Shenzi shook her head, "You've gotta be wrong. My daddy would never pick any other baby. He loves me; He tells me. He tolded me that when he gave me Chessy." She pointed to a small plush toy of the pink and purple striped Cheshire Cat, only for her father to give it to Tommy.

"Here Tommy, you can play with Chessy." He then walked in the house with him.

"Oh, look at that," Angelica turned to the younger girl, "Your daddy gave Tommy your favoritest toy."

Shenzi tried not to break down, as she found a Coke bottle cap in the grass, and picked it up. She blew the dirt off, and gazed at it. "Well, at least I still got my lucky... thingie." She sniffled, and tears fell down her cheeks.

(A/N: There's part 1! You know the disclaimer.)