The New Rugrats
31-year old Tommy Pickles parked his car in front of the airport. He took out his phone and texted his friend's sister, Kimi Finster.
I am here. He wrote. He then turned off the radio so that he could listen to his thoughts. He just landed a job as a movie director and he was excited about his debut. He was in charge to direct a Reptar film. He was so excited, Reptar was his childhood, so this was his dream come true. Now came the hard part. To come up with an idea that new generations of kids can enjoy as well as their parents who grew up with the dinosaur just like him and his friends all of those years ago. He was sure he could do him justice, but the question was how, and will it be enough? Times had changed since his childhood. He just didn't want to screw it up. Being a director sure was harder then he ever imagined.
The theme from his favorite movie, Jurassic Kingdom, came from his phone. Tommy looked at it. It was a message from Kimi. Be there soon. Tommy looked away from his phone and continued to think.
He wanted to do a Reptar origin story. An eleven-year old Japanese girl found Reptar as an egg. The egg hatched and the two become best friends. The government finds out and tries to kill it, thinking the beast is dangerous, but the kid knows better and tries to convince them before it's too late.
Tommy was still thinking of the details of the movie minutes later when a knock on the window snapped him into reality. He looked to see that it was just Kimi. She had arrived with her suitcases. He unlocked the car door and got out.
"Kimi!" He cried out to her. "How was Japan?"
"Japan was great!" Kimi stated.
"Great." He opened up the trunk and helped Kimi put away her suitcases. "How is your half sister?"
"Kiki's great too. She is in her second year of college." Tommy was shocked to hear this.
"Wow! Second year of college, already? My, how time flies! It feels like she was just a newborn yesterday."
"It sure does." The two got into the car and buckled their seatbelts. "So, how is your movie coming along?"
"It just got out of the brainstorming stage. Now I have to cast the actors."
"I'm sure you will get wonderful actors."
"Yeah? I hope so. I want to do this right."
"You will."
"Thanks. That means a lot to me, it really does."
"And guess what? When we have the gang all together for your baby shower, I have some exciting news to tell you all!" Tommy was excited about this.
"Yeah? Well, I can't wait to hear it!" Tommy turned back on the radio music and drove off.
Tommy drove to Kimi's house. Once there, they saw that Chaz and Kira were there out front. Kimi got out to hug them.
"Mom, Dad!" She cried out. "I'm so glad to see you."
"We are too, Kimi." Chaz stated to her.
"It's been so long." Kira added.
"It's a shame that your brother's not here. He would've loved to see you."
"I know, but work comes first. I'm sure he's working hard."
"After all,". Kira stated. "He has to keep working for his little one and pretty soon…"
"Mom!" Kimi said, then whispered to her. "I haven't told my friends yet, not even Chuckie. I'm planning to tell them at the Shower."
"Oops!" Kira said. "My bad, sorry." Tommy was confused about this.
"Sorry about what?" He asked. Kimi laughed nervously. She then looked at Tommy.
"So, are you going to open my trunk so I can get my stuff?" She asked him. Tommy went back into reality.
"Oh, your stuff!" He said. "Right; sorry about that." He opened the trunk with the push of a button on the car remote.
"Let me guess, were you thinking of ideas for your movie?" Tommy blushed and rubbed his head.
"Aw, you got me."
"Typical. You didn't tell me the details."
"What? And spoil the final product? You know I don't do that. I want it to be a surprise."
"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be great." Chaz said. Tommy looked at him.
"Thanks, Chaz." A car then pulled up the driveway.
"In speaking of our son," Kira observed. "Here he is now." Kira was right, because as soon as the car stopped and the car door opened. out came Chuckie. He had a baby strapped on his chest.
"Kimi!" He cried out with joy. "You're home." He then instantly regretted saying that. "I mean, of course you're home. You were supposed to come home today." He looked at Tommy.
"Thanks for picking her up, Tommy."
"Don't mention it." He said to him. "I was happy to do it." He looked at the baby strapped to his friend's chest. "And how is Lincoln doing?"
"He's doing good. He is crawling around like you wouldn't believe and he just turned nine months old yesterday."
"Nine months already, huh? That's awesome! Gosh, three more months from now will be his first birthday. They sure do grow up fast." He played a game of peek- a- boo with Lincoln and made the baby laugh.
"What about you, Tommy?" Chuckie asked him. "I bet you're happy to be a dad soon."
"I am." Tommy said to him. "Macy and I both love children. We can't wait to get our own soon."
"Didn't Macy get pregnant around the same time that Lincoln was born?"
"Yup. She's due any day now."
"And you're doing the Shower tomorrow? Wouldn't it have made sense to do it a little earlier so you guys are prepared in case the baby comes earlier?"
"Don't worry about it, Chuckie. It'll be fine, you'll see." Chuckie was unsure about this.
"Well, okay…if you're sure."
"Sure I'm sure." He looked at Lincoln. "Any day now, Lincoln, you are going to get a new little playmate, maybe the two of you will end up being friends like your father and I, now wouldn't that be something?" Lincoln just did his happy baby sounds.
"Uncle Tommy! Aunt Macy!" Angelica's three-year old daughter, Grace, said to him the next day all excited when she arrived for his baby shower with her parents. "You're going to love the 'welcome, baby' song me and Lucy are going to preform today. We hearsed it again for the billith time yesterday." Tommy smiled at her.
"I can't wait to hear it."
"Neither can I." Macy added. "Mrs. Pickles told me that your mom and Lucy's mom performed a duet at your other uncle's baby shower." Grace spun around like a ballerina.
"'Course I'll be the bestest singer of the two of us!" She bragged. "Mommy said that I have a talent at singing, whatever that is and plus I'm in ballet so I'll be the bestest dancer too!"
"Isn't Lucy in your ballet class too?" Tommy questioned.
"Well, yeah, she is, but I'll still be the bestest!" She then danced off to get a cookie.
"Grace!" Tommy called after her. "You're only allowed two cookies today remember!"
"Yeah, yeah, I remember!" Grace called back. "I didn't forget, Uncle Tommy!" Tommy looked at his wife.
"Kids." He said. "They're cute, but sure are mischievous sometimes."
"They sure are." Macy agreed with a laugh. "But they sure are worth it in the long run. Charlotte told me that Angelica was like that too at her age." Tommy smiled.
"Like mother, like daughter I guess."
"I suppose."
When Chuckie, Phil and Lil arrived with their spouses and children, they put their kids in the playpen that was outside just for the shower and went to inside to aid the preparations.
"What's going on, Lincoln?" Lil's daughter, Emma, wanted to know. "What's going on with the grown-ups? Why are we here and why did my mom dress me in this pretty outfit?"
"You don't likes it, Emma?" Phil's daughter, Ella asked. "Because I likes how pretty I am in mine."
"No, I likes it." Emma told her. "I'm just crous is all. Aren't you?"
"Yeah." Ella agreed. "But we're babies. I feel like we're suppose to not care about this boring stuff tills we're older." Emma sighed.
"I guess."
"Let's ask." Lincoln suggested as Grace came up to them, as well as Lucy.
"Hey, babies!" Grace greeted them.
"Hey, Grace." Lincoln greeted back. "Hey, Lucy. Don't mind me asking, but why is my mom and dad doing tis with all of the others moms and dads? And what's are they even doing?" Grace scoffed.
"Dumb as aways, babies. Well, if you all must know, this here is a baby shower." The babies were all confused.
"What's that?" Lincoln wanted to know.
"A baby shower is a big party."
"A party? For what?"
"For…" Grace then got an idea. She did a sly grin. "You know how the sky sometimes cries?"
"Yeah."
"Why does the sky cry?" Ella wanted to know. "Is it missing its mom or dad or something?"
"When I cry, my mom sings me a luaby and my other mommy tucks me in with my blankie. Tey then both kiss me good night and leave me alone saleeping in my crib." Emma stated.
"That's the goodest stuffs about mommies." Lincoln put in. "They all sos nice ands carings."
"Yeah!" Both Ellie and Emma all agreed.
"Anyways." Grace spoke up. "A baby shower is where babies falls from the sky." All of the babies looked at her, shocked.
"That can't be true!" Lincoln protested. "Our mommies and daddies won't have a party for tat."
"Yeah!" Emma added. "Poor babies. What did they do to served being felled from the sky?"
"Sorry, babies." Grace told them. "But it's true, and nothing can change that fact."
"Is there anyway the sky can't do that to us?" Ella wanted to know. "I don't want to be falled from the sky."
"Sorry." Grace said again. "But the sky already made its cision." All of the babies frowned at this."But there may be a way." They all cheered up and smiled at this. "Be on the sky's good side and it may not do it to you guys."
"What about the other babies?" Grace just shrugged.
"Don't know." She admitted. "I can't control how other babies behaves, All I know is that you can't have a baby shower without babies falling from the sky. So you gottas behaves or else! Now, I'm gonna hearse my song. You babies don't inrupts ortherwise you knows what will happen!" She then left with a twirl.
"Those poor babies." Emma said again. "I don't know what they did to make the sky wants to do this to them, but they don't serves to be falled from the sky. No one does!"
"I know." Lincoln agreed. He then began to think, then came up with an idea. "Maybe if we ask the sky not to, maybe the sky will listen and nots do its!"
"Good idea, Lincoln!" Emma said to him. "Buts how are we gonna do it? The grown ups are kind of loud, so will the sky eben hears us?"
"Maybe not here," He then pulled out his dad's toy screwdriver that he had at his age from his diaper. "But if we go someplace where it's more quieter, the sky might be able to listens better."
"Can we do that?" Ella asked. "What if the sky doesn't like tat and makes us falls from the sky?"
"Don't know." He admitted. "But we can't sit here and not do someting. We must do somethings."
"We can't just stay here?" Lincoln shook his head and put the screwdriver in the lock to the playpen and opened it and left with Emma, leaving the screwdriver behind. "I guess nots." With that, he left too with his friends.
Lucy saw the babies passing by. She knew they were too young to be out walking by themselves without adult supervision, and wondered to herself where they were going. So she walked after them.
Lincoln led his friends to the side of the house away from the party and all of the adults.
"So, you think this will work, Lincoln?" Emma wanted to know. "What if the sky hates babies and don't listens to us?"
"Of course the sky likes babies." Millie, Lil's other daughter. assured Emma. "Who doesn't like babies? We're cute!"
"Yeah!" Ella agreed. "Whoeber dislikes babies are monstars."
"I guessed." Lincoln looked at the sky as well as the other babies.
"Oh, sky." Lincoln began. "We, babies, come here today to please you of someting. We please that you will not let babies like us falled from you at this baby shower. We do not want them hurted, we don't want anyone hurtled. Preaze, preaze, preaze, we really do not want this. My friends all agree." His friends all nodded, pleading the sky as well.
"What are you doing?" Lincoln heard Lucy and looked at her with his friends.
"Oh, hi, Lucy." Lincoln greeted. "We were just preazing with the sky what it useally does at baby showers."
"Oh? Which is what?"
"You don't knowed?" Emma wanted to know. Lucy was now confused.
"Know? Know what?"
"The awfulest thing the sky does to babies. Makes them falls from it." Lucy put her hands on her hips, already knowing where this was going.
"Let me guess. Did Grace tell you this?"
"Yes." Ella told her. "Howled you knowed?" Lucy sighed.
"It seems like Grace once again fooled you, guys. It isn't true." All of the babies gasped.
"So, the sky doesn't let babies falls from it during baby showers?" Emma questioned. Lucy nodded.
"Yep!" Lincoln grew mad.
"Why does Grace always fools us?" He asked.
"Don't know." Lucy tools him. "But it's a mean thing to do."
"The meanest!" Millie put in.
"I thinks she fools us, Lincoln," Ella began telling him. "Because we lets her fooled us." Lincoln realized she was right.
"I guessed you have a point." He then grew determined. "Then we'll not let Grace fool us anymore!" All of the babies but Emma agreed.
"But, Lincoln," She started. "How we knowed if we're being fooled or not? What if its turns out to be trued?" Lincoln realized she was right as well.
"Oh, yeah." He then looked at Lucy.
"Then, Lucy will tell us if what Grace tells us is trued or not, right, Lucy?" Lucy nodded.
"I will." She stated. "Just tell me the things Grace tells you from now on, and I'll tell you if she's telling you guys the truth." All of the babies agreed.
"There you are, Lucy!" One of the adults said to her. "Are you ready for your song with Grace?" Lucy nodded.
"Yes." She answered. "I am, Mommy." Her mother smiled.
"Glad to hear. Just do your best and you'll make Mommy proud!" She then noticed the babies. "Why are all the babies with you? They're suppose to be in their playpen. If you wanted to play with them, you should have asked permission from their parents first."
"Yes, Mommy. Sorry"
"That's alright. You stay by them for now. I'll go tell their parents they are here so that they can put all of them back in their playpen."
"But what about my song?"
"You will still do it. This'll only take a minute."
"Yes, Mommy." And with that, her mother left her alone with the babies. Emma looked at Lincoln.
"Lincoln, are we going to tell Grace that we knowed she told us somefing that's not trued about the sky?" She asked.
"Yeah!" Ella put in. "She should knowed! She daserves it!" Lincoln shook his head to everyone's surprise.
"No." He told them. "I think she knowed she told us somefing not trued. If we tell her, it won't change anyfing."
"It might, but whateber. Would have been nice so we can seed her face when we tell her."
"Perhaps, but I feel we'll be no better of than her." Ella was confused.
"What do you mean by fat?" Lincoln shrugged.
"Don't knowed. I'm just a baby. We are all." The babies were still unsure about this, but nodded in agreement. The parents then came, picked up their kids, and with Lucy and her mother, went back to the party.
"Attention; attention!" Lucy's mom announced to everyone once they were all back. "My little baby girl had a song to sing for the soon-to be mom." She looked at Macy who blushed.
"My daughter does too." Angelica added. "They're doing a duet." She looked down at Grace. "Go on, Grace. Show them your stuff."
"I will, Mommy!" Grace said back to her. "I will knock their socks off, whatever that means." She and Lucy took center stage on the grass as the adults all gathered around them. The babies all watched from the playpen.
"A baby is really sweet," Lucy began singing.
"A baby is a special treat.
A baby is a great joy.
No matter if its a girl or boy.
A baby makes you proud."
"Babies are excreamly loud!" Grace interrupted loudly.
"Grace." Lucy told her. "That's not what we rehearsed." She continued singing.
"Babies are really cute."
"But they can also be ugly! Someone should put them on mute!"
"Grace; stop it!"
"No, I won't!" Lucy sighed.
"A baby is really special in their own way."
"A baby will ruin your day!"
"You're ruining the song, Grace!"
"No, I'm inproving it by a lot!"
"No, you're not."
"Yes, you are."
"No, I am."
"Ha! I got you!" Grace stomped in frustration and gritted her teeth as Lucy continued.
"A baby is lots of things."
"They're mainly bad things!" Lucy narrowed her eyes at her.
"A lot of good things
"So enjoy your new bundle of joy."
"Before they steal all of your toys!"
"A baby is a joy, joy, joy!" They both sang. Grace screamed at the top of her lungs.
"NOT!" Macy looked at Tommy.
"My water broke!" She cried out. "The baby's coming!"
"You think Grace's scream is what triggered your water to break, Macy?" Dil teased her. "Grandpa said that's how Mom's water broke when Angelica did the exact same thing before she had me." Tommy glared at his brother.
"That is not what triggered it!" He told him. "And you know it. Now, just stop being a goofball and help me get my wife into the car." Dil shrugged,
"It could've." Tommy glared at him again.
"Okay, Okay, it didn't; chillax. You know. you need to laugh every now and then, big bro. Man, I tell you, everyone is such a snowflake now. They can't take a joke anymore. It's sad."
"I'll take care of the guests." Didi told her son. "You just focus on getting Macy to the hospital." Tommy smiled at her.
"Thanks, Mom." He left with his wife and brother. Didi looked at all of the attendees.
"Sorry." She apologized to everyone. "But it looks like the baby shower is over with. Have a good rest of your day and I'll keep your guys up to date." Stu came up to his wife as everyone left. He smiled and wrapped an arm around her.
"Does this remind you of Dil's baby shower?" He asked. Didi smiled.
"It sure does." She sighed. "Honestly, Stu, where did the time go? It seems like only yesterday since Tommy and Dil were still babies and playing with their friends. And now, we're about to get our first ever grandchild."
"I know." Stu agreed. "It's crazy, but that's how life works. If only Pops were here to see this."
"Yes, if only. He'd be very proud. We all are of Tommy and his wife. Now we wait for the call."
As soon as Stu and Didi got the call, they picked up Dil and drove to the hospital.
"Where' s my grandkid?" Didi wanted to know as soon as they were all in Macy's hospital's room. They then saw Tommy holding a newborn baby.
"She's here, Mom." He said to her. "Mom, Dad, Dil, I want all of you to meet Cece, Cece Christine Pickles." They all smiled as they saw little Cece. "We were thinking of naming her Olivia, but Cece Pickles sounds better than Olivia Pickles."
"It sure does!" Dil agreed. Tommy offered Cece to his mother to hold. "Go on, Mom. She's all yours to hold."
"Hi, there." Didi said to Cece as Dil and Stu were by her side, loooking down at her. "I'm your dad's mother, your grandmother."
"And I'm Grandpa!" Stu added.
"Don't forget the uncle!" Dil put in. "I may not be your dad, but I'm going to teach you so many bad dad jokes as well with other ones. Basically I'm going to teach you the ways of the funny."
"Welcome to the world, little one." Stu told her. "You're going to love your dad. I know we did."
"Dad!" Tommy said, blushing. Macy cleared her throat. Stu gave out a lame smile.
"You're going to love your mom too." Macy smiled.
"And your uncle." Dil said. Tommy rolled his eyes.
"Yes, Dil." He said. "She'll love her uncle as well as everyone else."
"Well, not everyone. There are flat out jerks in this world and evil people she should probably stay away from." He then thought of something. "Hey, Mom, Dad, remember you thought that I was going to be a girl? Well, here's the girl. It may not be your girl, but it's close enough."
"We don't care on gender." Didi said. "As long as she's healthy and fun loving, that's all that we can ever ask for."
"You took the words right out of my mouth, Didi." Stu told her. He looked at the proud parents. "Tommy, Macy, congratulations on this little miracle of life."
At home, they invited all of their friends and their children to see the new baby, as well as relatives. They all marveled over her and told the parents their congratulations. Tommy and Macy thanked them all. Tommy looked at Kimi.
"Hey, Kimi." He said to her. "Weren't you going to say something at the shower?"
"Yeah." Kimi admitted with a sigh. "I was, but I forgot due to all of the excitement."
"Why not now?" Chuckle suggested. "It's about a good time as any I should think."
"It is." Kimi agreed. She cleared her throat. "I like to say that I am two mounths pregnant!" Everyone all congratulated her. Tommy put Cece in her new baby jumper inside of the playpen and joined the other adults in the other room. Lincoln and his friends all walked to Cece.
"Welcome to da group, Cece!" Lincoln said. "I'm Lincoln and these are my friends." The babies all introduced themselves.
"You know," Grace put in with a sly grin. "Sometimes there are special rituals one has to perform before anybody new can join the group."
"What kind of ritral and what are those?" Lincoln wanted to know. Grace shrugged.
"How should I know?" She asked.
"Because you told us." Ella stated.
"Just cause I told you does not mean I have to know them."
"I feel like it'll be nice though." Emma said.
"Do we have to perform these ritrals, whatever they are?" Mille wanted to know.
"Don't be silly." Lucy said to her. "You babies don't have to listen to Grace. You can all do what you feel like."
"Tat's right!" Ella said in Grace's face. "We can do what we want. You can't boss us around!" Grace sighed.
"Fine, whatever, dumb babies. I'm going to see what all of the adults are doing. It might be super boring, but I bet it's better than what dumb babies do all of the time." She then left. The babies and Lucy looked at Cece.
"Well, in dat case," Lincoln began. "Welcome tos da group, Cece! You're ome of us nows!" Lucy and the rest of the babies all cheered as Cece just laughed and did her nonsense baby babble.