Nell distracted Ricky as she watched his older sisters help James with his story. She knew how her little guy loved his big sisters, but his cooing couldn't distract them from their work.
"Where's Mommy?" Bobby Lee asked playfully, shielding her eyes with Zoomer as Nell had a chuckle escape from her lips.
She remembered how they used to do it with Elena and Gabby when they were Ricky's age.
Elena giggled as she drew her character riding on Kitty for the story. "Like this, James?" she asked.
"That's great, Elena," James smiled. He'd been going back and forth between some of his puzzle books and the notes he'd made, and the story was shaping up really well. "And I'm sorry I snapped at you before."
"I should be more pay-sent," Elena smiled, seeing Ricky a little confused. "Me and Gabby are Ricky's exam-poles."
"And you're good ones at that," Florence smiled, musing her hair.
"I remember that Helen Genevieve never liked being distracted when she was writing either," Bianca smiled as she recalled Nell writing a story for a contest at school when she was younger. She'd won first prize in her class for it, and she had been thrilled. "Sometimes she helps Prince James if he has a question, but mostly they write their own wonderful stories."
"He's got two boxes of stories!" Elena spoke up.
"That's true, Love Bug, but he says that one is for his favorite stories," Bobby Lee explained. "The other one is for stories he wants to work on later."
"Why he do that?" Gabby asked.
"Sometimes I don't like the way a story goes, and I put it in my 'try again later' box," James explained. "If I find a story in there, I read it again to remind myself what the story's about, and I try some new ideas. Sometimes I find an idea, or I throw the story out, since it's not working even with the new idea."
"You not throw out Kitty story, right?" Elena asked.
"Of course not," James assured her, pausing in his writing to give her a hug.
Ricky cooed, reaching for Zoomer as Nell took him in her arms.
"He found Mommy," Nell smirked, glancing at Bobby Lee. "You used to be good at that game."
"It's not my fault that I'm rusty!" Bobby Lee joked, covering Elena and Gabby in kisses.
"What game?" Elena asked in confusion.
"Remember when Mommy and I played peek-a-boo with you and Gabby?" Bobby Lee smiled. He took Pinky from Sofia and put it in front of his face. "Where's Daddy, Ricky? Where's Daddy?"
James smirked and did a 'Ms. Napkin Head' routine as he picked Ricky up as said, "Behind the kitty. What am I, a dummy?"
As Ricky giggled, Nell took him from James and cooed, "You're not a dummy, Ricky! No you're not!"
"How's the story coming, James?" Bobby Lee smirked, mussing his hair.
"Pretty good! Thanks for asking!" James grinned as Madeline and Sabrina told him about some of their ideas.
"We play peek-a-boo too?" Elena asked with a smile.
"Hopefully you'll do better than Daddy," Nell smirked, covering her in kisses. "But I love your kitty drawing!"
Elena smiled at the compliment as Gabby hid her eyes with her drawing.
"James, don't say a word," Sabrina smiled, distracting him with her ideas.
"I wouldn't dream of it," James smirked, listening to Sabrina's ideas for Lady Marie.
"Where's Gabby?" Nell cooed, seeing Ricky confused. "Where's your big sister?"
"Here I am!" Gabby giggled, taking her drawing away from her eyes.
Ricky squealed, reaching over to hug his big sister.
"Can Lady Elizabeth and Lady Marie help solve the case?" Madeline asked, showing James a picture she'd made of her and Sabrina in fancy dresses.
"Since they came to Andrew and Julie when they first came to Avalor, of course they're working with them," James agreed. "But don't worry. Neither of them will be used as bait. I tried using traps before in one or two of my other stories, and I didn't like the way those were turning out."
"Try again later!" Elena piped up, flapping her hands.
"I might try one of those stories later, but only if you help me, Elena," James smiled.
"I help with Andrew story!" Elena giggled.
"And you'll do a great job at helping him," Nell grinned. "Just like you and Gabby did with Ricky."
"Of course, if Elena helps you with your story, you might have to re-write it with her in it too!" Bobby Lee grinned.
"Okay," James agreed. "We'll see how she does in this story, and if I like the way her character interacts with Julie and Andrew, Miss Lydia will go in another story."
"Kitty too?" Elena asked.
"Miss Lydia might have to have a domestic kitty, since Jaquins aren't native to Jameslandia," James replied. He saw that Elena looked ready to pout, so he added quickly, "But that doesn't mean that she can't be the same color as Kitty."
"Or you could make your little friend Snow White Miss Lydia's kitty, since she's a domestic kitty," Florence suggested.
"Or as domestic as she gets, living in the stables," Bianca added, knowing that Elena's kitty Snow White had to live in the castle stables due to Roland's allergies.
"That's a brilliant idea!" James smiled. "And her name can still be Snow White."
"Yeah! Snow White be in Andrew story!" Elena cheered.
"Good move, everyone," Bobby Lee smiled.
"That's right; you made her happy. But let me warn you, James: Elena's spelling might not be as great as yours," Madeline smiled.
"But that shouldn't matter. What matters is that she's helping," Sabrina smirked, seeing Ricky turn red. "And it might get her away from Ricky for a while."
"I don't like him bad," Elena frowned, grabbing her crayons.
"He's not bad, Love Bug; he just needs a little attention...and a clean diaper can't hurt either!" Nell said as she started to carry Ricky out when she heard him start fussing. "We'll be back as soon as we can, James! Don't let Andrew solve the mystery without us!"
"I'll make sure he won't," James promised. "And don't worry about Elena's spelling, Madeline; that's why I'm here to check it. After all, I've been writing since I was at least Ricky's age!"
"For a long time, anyway, Prince James," Florence smirked as she mussed his hair. "But you are a very good writer."
"You write better than most of the boys at our school!" Sabrina giggled, showing him what she had written so far.
"When they're not throwing papers balls at us, calling us princesses, or dunking our heads in the water tub, that is," Madeline sighed, biting her lip. "But that's not the worst things they've done. Sabrina, remember the day before Wassailia break?"
"I do not want to talk about the closet, Madeline Elizabeth!" Sabrina snapped, going back to her drawing. "If you want to spoil the happy memories I'm making here in Avalor by blabbing it out, then do it! I don't care!"
"Come here, Sabrina Marie," Bianca murmured, "Let's take a walk and you can calm down."
"Okay," Sabrina muttered, following her out.
"Come with me, Madeline," Florence added, leading Madeline out. "Let's have a talk of our own."
"Come here, Elena," Sofia suggested, motioning her over to the couch and letting her cuddle Kitty while Florence and Bianca took Madeline and Sabrina out. "Everything's going to be all right."
"I could use a little break anyway," James said as he got up to stretch. "Do you guys want anything while I'm out?"
"Cookies," Elena smiled a little.
"Oh no. You'll just get filled up with sugar," Sofia smirked. "Or get a stomachache."
"Maybe I can find Queen Elena for you," James suggested, bopping her nose. "Maybe it'll take your mind off cookies."
"Cookies?!" Gabby gasped happily. "Get me one! Please!"
"If Mr. Armando says it's okay," James smiled. "Come on, you two."
Elena and Gabby followed James out of the room. They saw Madeline and Sabrina coming back. "Is everything okay?" James asked.
"We'll discuss it later," Florence murmured.
"That's okay," Amber smiled, putting an arm around Madeline. "If they don't want to tell us about it, they don't have to."
"Don't be sad," Elena smiled as she hugged her aunts.
"You always know what helps," Sabrina smiled as she hugged her back.
"You always give the best hugs," Madeline added, gently stroking Elena's hair.
"She wouldn't be a Love Bug if she wasn't," Nell smirked, seeing the interaction.
"Ricky better?" Elena asked with a smile.
"Much better," Nell grinned. "And I heard someone asking for cookies. I think we could all use a cookie break."
"How's the story coming, James?" Madeline asked.
"Really well," James smiled as Armando brought out a plate of cookies. "I'll let you read some if it when we get back from our break."
"And it's so nice to see you taking a break instead of writing nonstop," Nell smiled.
"Or we get out the monster!" Elena giggled, smiling at Ricky. "Roar. Roar!"
"Is it night-night time already?" Bobby Lee joked.
As Nell pouted, since Bobby Lee always called her a horrible snarling monster due to her snoring, Ricky clapped his hands happily, knowing that she was only playing before grabbing the nearest cookie.
"Roar! Roar!" Elena continued happily, giving Nell a hug.
"Elena, that's enough roaring," Sabrina smirked.
"Okay. We don't want to scare Kitty," Elena smiled.
They smiled as they watched Ricky teething on the cookie. "That's right, Ricky; cookies, like music, make everything better," James smiled.
"Has he tried cookies before, Mommy?" Gabby asked with a smile.
"I think it's his first one, sweetheart," Nell grinned. "But I don't want him to have a tummy ache."
"What that mean?" Elena asked in worry for her little brother.
"You don't want Ricky to get sick again, do you?" Nell asked.
"No! Being sick no fun!" Elena gasped.
"Well, why don't we let you finish your cookies, then we'll go back and see how James is doing with his story?" Nell suggested.
"It's coming along pretty well," James smiled. "I decided to take a break, but I'll start again when we go back."
After they had finished their cookies, Elena and Gabby sat down next to James while he began to go back to his story.
"No! Mine!" Elena wailed, seeing Ricky take some of her crayons.
"Elena, be nice or you're going in timeout," Nell warned. "Ricky probably wants to color too."
"I be good!" Elena blurted out, remembering what would happen to Kitty and Pinky if she went in timeout again. "Ricky can share crayons!"
"That's what I thought you said, and I'm glad you remembered what will happen if you go in timeout again," Nell nodded. "But remember, if I have to talk to you one more time..."
"I be good girl, Mommy!" Elena pleaded tearfully.
James looked up from his writing. "Well, I'm glad that's settled, but there's a new problem," he said as he took her on his lap. "Like I said, this is supposed to be fun, and I can't have fun writing this story if someone's crying!"
"Sorry," Elena frowned. "I be a very good girl."
"That's all we ask," James smiled. "Queen Elena wouldn't like it if you were upset."
"And Ricky's having fun with your crayons," Bobby Lee smiled, seeing what was going on.
Nell smiled as she watched Ricky scribbling on a piece of paper. She had made sure to give Ricky a blank sheet of paper, so the girls' drawings and James' story wouldn't be ruined.
"Ricky, can we use your picture as the cover art of my folder when the story's written?" James asked. "I might have to write the title on the picture, but that's all I'll do when it's done."
Ricky squealed and bounced in Nell's arms. He didn't know what James was talking about, but he wanted to be part of what was going on.
"That's a good idea," Nell smiled. "This way, Ricky can contribute something to the story too."
"And he has the most adorable little scribbles I've ever seen," Queen Elena smiled, causing Elena to run over to her.
"Yay! You can play now!" Elena giggled, flapping her hands.
Ricky cooed, holding up his scribbles for Queen Elena to see.
"We'll have to make a copy of this picture," Queen Elena smiled as she took him in her arms. "I'll hang it up next to the picture your sister made!"
"Kitty picture!" Elena cheered, recalling how Mateo had made a copy of the picture she had made of the Grand Council as cats.
"That's right, sweetheart," Queen Elena smiled. "The two of you are wonderful artists!"
"Me too?" Gabby asked, showing them the picture she was drawing.
"You are too, Gabby," Queen Elena smiled.
"I don't know how they ended up talented," Bobby Lee joked with a smirk.
"Maybe from living with royalty all their lives?" James smirked, looking at Elena and Gabby's drawings.
"Curse our bad influence?" Amber joked, using a phrase James often used.
"No, more like bless your positive influence!" Nell smiled, pulling her into a hug. "Now I know where all the girls get their talents for art and music!"
"So it's not a bad influence?" Sabrina smiled.
"Of course not," Florence grinned, mussing her hair.
"But why did you get angry with Madeline earlier?" James wondered.
"Is it those boys again?" Nell growled, gently holding Ricky so he wouldn't roll away.
Sabrina nodded. "I think I'll let Maddie talk about it, but only if she wants to."
"It's okay, Madeline, you know you're among friends here," Sofia assured Madeline, pulling her into a hug.
Ricky reached out to hug her, causing Bobby Lee to smirk.
"He really is a snuggle bug," Bobby Lee grinned, mussing his hair.
"I...I can't tell all of you," Madeline sighed. "I just hate those boys!"
"It's okay, Maddie," Sabrina tried to comfort her, "If you don't want to tell us about it, that's okay, but you know we're all here for you when you're ready."
"Thank you," Madeline sniffled, taking Butterfly in her arms and hugging her tightly.
"You do know that all boys aren't bad, right?" James asked, pausing in his writing to give her a hug.
"I know, but they locked Sabrina in a closet. Those boys thought it was funny," Madeline hiccupped.
"That does explain why I had to come to pick you girls up earlier than usual," Nell frowned. "I thought we settled everything with them back in kindergarten."
"That long?" Queen Elena asked in surprise.
"Meanies!" Elena yelled, hugging both Sabrina and Madeline.
"I'm sorry, Nell!" Madeline broke away from Elena and buried her face in Nell's chest.
"Oh...my sweet little butterfly," Nell murmured, pulling her into a hug. She reached out her other hand to Sabrina, who buried her face in Nell's other side. "And my sweet baby girl...I'm so sorry that happened."
"Not as sorry as I was," Sabrina whimpered. "I almost had an accident in the closet, but you got me out in time."
"Nobody saw it, and we got you to the bathroom in time before we took you home," Nell murmured.
"We use scepter on boys?" Elena wondered with a smile.
"Sorry, sweetie, but I don't do things like that," Queen Elena explained, taking her in her arms. "But as queen, I declare that the rest of your vacation has to be a happy one."
Ricky squealed, trying to reach for her.
"That's right, Ricky," Queen Elena smiled, taking him in her arms. "Will you and your big sister help me make sure everyone has a happy time?"
Ricky squealed and bounced in her arms, then reached for his big sister.
"We help you!" Elena cheered.