South Park's Emotional Warzone Chapter 12: Date Night (Stabe)
It's the Monday night after Kenny and Lola's wedding, and everybody is back home relaxing. We begin this chapter at the residence of Stan and Lyra Marsh. The father and daughter are enjoying their evening watching reruns of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. They're watching the episode, "Mistaken Identity," and they got to the scene where Uncle Phil and Aunt Vivian try and bail Will and Carlton out of jail.
"I've got a few questions for you." Uncle Phil began. "When you got this alleged confession from these two young me, did they have a lawyer present? No. Because I'm their lawyer. Did you notify their parents? No. Because we're their parents. So, officer, don't' tell us to wait, and don't tell us to sit down. Just open the damn cell and let those two boys out of there or I'm going to tie this place up with so much litigation that your grandchildren are going to need layers!"
"Yeah, you tell that jerkface, Uncle Phil!" Lyra said. "That was awesome, wasn't it dad?"
Lyra turned to look at her father, and she saw that he was lost in thought. Stan was still thinking about his dance with Bebe at the wedding. "I wonder what Bebe is doing right now?" Stan thought to himself. He snapped out of his thoughts when his daughter called him.
"Hey, dad, is everything okay?" Lyra asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I was just thinking." Stan said.
"Let me guess," Lyra said, "About your dance with Mrs. Broflovski last weekend."
"That's right!" Stan said shocked. "How'd you know that?"
"You had that glazed look in your eyes that only people in love would get." Lyra joked.
"Hey now, I'm not in love with Felix's mom." Stan blushed.
"Really?" Lyra said, not buying the lie. "Tell me then, dad, how would you describe what you're feeling? And follow-up question, how would you describe your bond with Mrs. Broflovski?"
"Well, I just feel warm and fuzzy inside…" Stan began.
"A feeling people associate with being in love." Lyra said.
"…and Felix's mom and I are just…friends that are really close." Stan finished.
"And an accurate way of describing people who are in love." Lyra said.
"Alright fine, Lyra, maybe I do have some feelings for Mrs. Broflovski." Stan said. "But that dance was just a one-time thing. I highly doubt she feels the same way about me."
"Do you know that for sure?" Lyra asked.
"No…not exactly." Stan said.
"Exactly." Lyra said. "There's only one way to know for sure if you and her are meant to be."
"What's that, Lyra?" Stan asked, causing his daughter to give a big grin. Stan knew where she was going with this and immediately backed down.
"Oh no! No, no, no, no, no!" Stan said. "Lyra, there is no way I'm asking Mrs. Broflovski out on a date. No way, absolutely not!"
"Oh come on!" Lyra said. "It's not like you and her are married. Both of you are single. What do you two have to lose?"
"It's just that…the reason I haven't put myself out there again is because I'm afraid something bad will happen to whoever my new suitor shall be, just like what happened between me and your mother." Stan explained. "I can't go through heartache like that again, I just can't."
"Dad, let me ask you something." Lyra said. "Aren't some of the mantras that you've told me things like: 'If at first you don't succeed, try again,' , or 'failure is the birth of success,' or, 'where there's life there's hope?' You haven't dated anyone for as long as I've walked this Earth. Well guess what? It's time to break the spell, pick up that phone, and call Mrs. Broflovski for a hot date! Besides, life's too short. I know you don't want to spend the rest of your life thinking of what might've been."
Stan let his daughter's words sink in for a few moments before realizing that she was right. The only way to know if Bebe had feelings for him was to just ask her out on a date.
"You're right, Lyra." Stan said. "I should take a chance. I'm going to call her up right now. I just need you to do one thing for me."
"Hmm?" Lyra said.
"Talk me out of it." Stan said trying to walk away, but Lyra quickly jumped in front of him before he got too far.
"No, dad! We need to rip this bandage off right now." Lyra said handing Stan their house phone. Stan took the phone from his daughter and dialed up the Broflovski residence.
At the Broflovski residence, Felix was in the living room playing Fortnite on his PS4. He was in the middle of a match when the phone started to ring. He quickly picked it up and answered it. "Hello, Broflovski residence, Felix speaking." Felix answered.
"Hi, Felix, it's me, Mr. Marsh." Stan answered.
"Oh, hey, Mr. Marsh what's up?" Felix asked.
"Nothing much, you busy?" Stan asked.
"Just playing some Fortnite," Felix answered, "Why?"
"I want to know if you can hand the phone over to your mother," Stan said, "Where is she?"
"She's upstairs in the bathroom," Felix answered, "Not trying to be rude, but if you can just wait, this match will be over in 10 seconds. I'll be glad to put her on the phone with you."
"That's be great, Felix." Stan said.
Felix finished his match and made his way upstairs with the phone. He opened the bathroom door to go get his mother but…"Hi, mom, Mr. Marsh is on the phone for y…YIKES!"
Bebe had just gotten out of the shower, meaning Felix accidently walked in on her mother naked!
"AAAHHHH!" Bebe screamed quickly grabbing a towel and covering herself. "Felix, what are you doing!?" Bebe scolded.
"I'm so sorry, mom!" Said a frazzled Felix. "But I just wanted to give you the phone. It's Mr. Marsh. Here take it. I need to rinse my eyeballs!"
Felix quickly gave his mother the phone and ran off elsewhere.
"Hello?" Bebe said talking into the phone.
"Hi, Bebe, is everything okay? I heard a bit of a commotion." Stan said. "Did I call at a bad time?"
"No, no, it's fine." Bebe said, almost as if she was desperate to talk to him. "So what's up?"
"Nothing much," Stan said, "I was just thinking about our dance at Kenny and Lola's wedding last weekend."
"Yeah, that was fun." Bebe said smiling.
"It was." Stan said, feeling his heart pound out of his chest as he knew what he had to ask next. "But…I just want to know if, well, if you're not doing anything on Friday night…I mean it's cool if you are, but in the event that you don't…uh…"
Bebe heard Stan's nervousness on her end of the call…and to her, he sounded absolutely adorable.
"Stan, are you trying to ask me out on a date?" Bebe asked.
There was a few seconds of silence before Stan replied with: "Yup…so…you up for it?"
Bebe gave it some thought. "You said Friday night?" She asked.
"Yes." Stan said.
"What time?" Bebe asked.
"I was thinking I'd pick you up at about…7 P.M" Stan answered.
Bebe thought for a few more moments before answering.
"Alright, Stan, you're on!" She replied. "7 P.M, Friday night. Good thing you suggested that Felix is sleeping over at Larry and Barry's house that night, and Izzy is sleeping over at a friend's house as well."
"Really, Lyra just talked with Chelsea earlier today about a sleepover at her house on Friday night." Stan said.
"Sounds like a date." Bebe said happily. "I just have to call either my parents or Kyle's parents and see if they can babysit Matthew. I'll call you back if they reply."
"Okay, great!" Stan said.
"Talk to you later, Stan, bye." Bebe said.
"Bye." Stan said as he ended the call.
"Alright dad!" Lyra cheered as Stan put the phone back on the receiver.
"Heh, that wasn't so bad." Stan said, "That actually felt kind of good. Dare I say, I'm kind of excited for this date."
"I don't blame you." Lyra said. "Mrs. Broflovski is a great woman."
"She sure is." Stan said. "Well, it's time to start thinking about how this date will unfold: Where we'll go, what I'll wear, you know stuff like that."
"I'll help you out if you want." Lyra offered.
"Thanks, Lyra." Stan said. "That sounds like a great idea."
"Hey, dad, you know what time it is?" Lyra asked.
"What?" Stan asked
"It's montage time!" Lyra said ecstatically.
(Cue date preparation montage with background music being Go My Way by Hitomi Yaida (WildCard0531 Note: Yes I've been playing Ouendan))
(Nani shiten darou konna hazu ja nai darou. Jitensha tachi kogi furi kitteiku)
(Stan is looking through a phone book for a limousine rental service. He finds what he was looking for and calls the number up)
(Ikite iku koto wa mada tsukame nai. Yoru ga asa ni kawaru you ni)
(Bebe is looking at a website of all of the different hairstyles there are. She's trying to pinpoint which one she should go with)
(Utsumuite toroinokosareta basho wo. Fukaku hotte miyou. Izumi ga nemuru hazu yo)
(Stan is at the local barber shop and Lyra is with him. He let his hair grow out again after his time at war, and he thought it was time to shorten it up again. The barber is shown trimming Stan's hair down some and then gelling it upward. Stan turns around to show his daughter and Lyra gives thumbs up)
(It's my rainy day. But I'll just go anyway. Mieru nara iku nomi darou. Afureteru no magara nai no. Donna jikan ga kakatte mo)
(Now Stan and Lyra are at the clothing store in the South Park Mall. Lyra is waiting outside a changing room to judge Stan's clothes. Stan's arrangements are as follows:
(Wardrobe #1: Stan's first arrangement is a long sleeve blue dress shirt underneath a dark blue sweater vest, black pants, and black loafers. Lyra shakes her head)
(Wardrobe #2: Stan's second arrangement is a white tuxedo with matching top hat, cane, and brown shoes. Lyra shakes her head at that too)
(Wardrobe #3: Stan's third arrangement is a grey dress shirt underneath a navy blue suit jacket, navy blue dress pants, black leather belt, and black dress shoes. Lyra likes this look and gives Stan a thumbs up while nodding. It's at this moment when Lyra holds up a cologne bottle and sprays it on Stan's wrist. He takes a sniff and likes it)
(Mitome aeta nara hibi wa utsukushii toori sugari no uso ni. Mou madowasaretaku wa nai)
(Bebe is looking at herself in the mirror, putting a different dress in front of herself to see how she would look. As she is doing this, Isabella is spying on her, sad and annoyed that Bebe is preparing for this date with Stan. Isabella still really misses Kyle. Once Bebe decides on a dress, she begins to look there her make-up bag for lipstick and eye shadow that would match)
(It's my shiny day, so we'll just go anyway. Mieru nara anata mo sasotte. Tsunagatteku wa yorokobi da wa hora. Shikai wa sumi watatteru)
(Finally, it's date night. Felix, Isabella, Lyra, and Matthew are with their respective guardians for the night. Stan, with his hair cut and navy blue suit on, is riding in the backseat of the limousine he rented on his way to Bebe's house.)
(End montage, end song)
The limousine arrives at the Broflovski Residence and stops in the drive way. Stan is still very nervous as he takes a deep breath. He closes his eyes and thinks for a few moments. He thinks about the good this date will do for him, Bebe, and their kids if it goes well. He thinks about how it'll bring them all closer together. He reopens his eyes and nods confidently to himself. "Let's do this!" He says to himself.
Stan gets out and walks up to the pathway to the front door of the house. He eventually makes it to the front door and stares at the doorbell for a few seconds before pressing it. The rhythmic sound the doorbell made put Stan's mind at ease.
"I'll be right there." Bebe said from inside the house.
A few more seconds of waiting and Stan saw the door knob turn, causing the door it was attached to open up. Behind the door was Bebe, all gussied up and ready for the date. "Hi, Stan," she greeted her date for the evening.
Bebe had her long blonde hair tied into a ponytail and she was wearing a lovely red dress that showed some cleavage, a red purse, and some red heels. She had red lipstick and matte eye shadow on her face. Seeing Bebe like this made Stan blush.
"Wow, Bebe, you look really beautiful." Stan said.
"Thanks, Stan." Bebe said with a giggle. "You're quite the looker yourself. I like your haircut."
"Do you really?" Stan asked.
"Of course." Bebe said. "You always looked better with shorter hair."
"I'm glad you think that way." Stan said before holding out his hand for Bebe to take which she does. The two of them walk back to the limousine. Bebe was amazed to see the big car sitting in her driveway.
"You rented a limo!" Bebe said. "Stan, you really didn't have to."
"I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to." Stan said holding the limousine door open for her. "After you, my lady."
"Thank you kindly, sir." Bebe said as she got into the limousine, Stan right behind her. Once they were inside, Stan closed the door and told the driver to head for the date spot.
"So where are we going on our date, Stan?" Bebe asked.
"I figured we'd first get a bite to eat at Buca de Faggoncini." Stan said. "Then I figured we'd catch tonight's showing of 'Hollywood in the Park,' at the Town Square."
"Really, what are they showing?" Bebe asked.
"A John Hughes film." Stan answered. "I think it was Sixteen Candles."
"I love that movie!" Bebe exclaimed.
"Really?" Stan said surprised.
"Heck yeah!" Bebe said. "It's been my favorite since Middle School. I can recite it almost word for word."
"Seems like I made the right call when deciding where to go." Stan said. "My only worry is that while I think our dress code is fine for the restaurant…I think we may be a ltitle overdressed for Hollywood in the Park."
"Who cares what people think?" Bebe said. "These clothes are nothing more than just things to wear. If they want to talk, let them talk. I've had people talk about me for as long as I remember. I haven't let anyone's comments get to me yet, and you shouldn't either, Stan."
"Yeah," Stan said, thinking Bebe's statements over, "If people have a problem with the clothes we wear, fuck them!"
"There we go!" Bebe said. "Yeah, fuck them! They're all just jealous that they can't pull off nice duds like these."
Bebe and Stan had a good laugh as the limousine pressed on for Buca de Faggoncini.
Once the limo arrived at the Italian Restaurant, Stan wanted to be the perfect gentleman for Bebe. "Wait here," he said as he left his side of the limousine, went around, and opened the door to Bebe's side, letting her out.
"Why thank you." Bebe said as Stan guided her out of the limo.
"My pleasure." Stan said with a bow.
"You're so cute." Bebe said giving Stan a head pat causing him to chuckle cutely.
The couple approached the front door of the restaurant, and Stan held the door open for Bebe, keeping up his gentlemanly streak. When the duo walked into the restaurant, it was decently crowded with a lot of other couples and families enjoying a nice night out, just like they were.
As Bebe and Stan waited to be seated, they saw their waiter for the night come up ready to seat them. It was none other than Ike Broflovski, who was working at Buca de Faggoncini for a summer job while he was home from college.
"Hey, it's Ike." Stan said.
"Hey guys, what's up," Ike said, "On a date I see."
"Yup." Stan said.
"Good to see you finally bite the bullet and start dating again, Stan." Ike said before turning to Bebe. "And if you don't mind me saying, Bebe, you two look adorable together."
Bebe blushed and said, "Oh, why thank you, Ike."
"So, why don't you two follow me and I'll show you to your table." Ike said as he motioned for the couple to follow him. Ike showed the two of them a table with a nice window seat. Stan, once again trying to maintain his gentlemanly image, pulled the chair out for Bebe and pushed it back in once she was seated.
"Thank you so much, Stan." Bebe said.
"Yeah, nice move man." Ike said.
"Hey, I try." Stan said as he took his seat. Ike handed out the menus, took drink orders, a Pepsi for Bebe and some lemonade for Stan, and returned a few minutes later with said drinks, but he also had a bottle of wine with him which he placed in an ice bucket right next to the table.
"Don't worry about paying for the wine, guys, it's on me." Ike said.
"Hey, thanks." Bebe said.
"So, have you two decided what you want to eat?" Ike asked taking out his pen and pad.
"I'd like to order chicken marsala." Bebe ordered.
"And I'd like to order shrimp scampi." Stan ordered.
"One chicken marsala, and one shrimp scampi coming right up." Ike said as he wrote the orders down. "Alright, I'll just place these orders in and our chefs will get right on it."
After Ike left to place the orders in, Bebe and Stan were left alone to talk. Stan appeared to be nervous though.
"Stan, is everything okay?" Bebe asked concerned. "You look tense."
"Yeah," Stan replied, "It's just that…I haven't really gone out on a date since Wendy died over 10 years ago, and I'm kind of rusty on how dates usually go down."
"Well, we could start by talking about our families." Bebe said.
"You mean, like, what they do for a living?" Stan asked.
"Yes," Bebe said, "Go on, ask me what my parents do."
"Okay," Stan said clearing his throat, "So, what is that your parents do?"
"Well, my mom works as a hairdresser at the local hair salon, and my dad works as a history professor at the community college." Bebe answered.
"Oh yeah!" Stan said, "I remember seeing him around campus when I went there. I didn't really have his class though, but sometimes I'd walk by his office and hear him play Billy Joel songs on his computer while he ate his lunch."
"Yeah, my dad really loves Billy Joel," Bebe said, "He was kind of the one who introduced me to his music."
"Same for my dad," Stan said, "Billy Joel was his idol. You know what, quick question. On the count of three, we say our favorite Billy Joel song. Get ready…1…2…3!
"Allentown!" Bebe and Stan said much to their surprise.
"That is awesome!" Bebe said in shock.
"I know right!" Stan said before Bebe changed the subject.
"So, as you know I'm very excited to watch Sixteen Candles later, as it is my favorite movie." Bebe said. "But what I want to know is what your favorite movie is?"
Stan gave it some thought, and narrowed it down to five options, "Will you accept a Top Five, no particular order?" Stan asked.
"Sure." Bebe said.
"Okay then," Stan said, "My five favorite movies would have to be Forrest Gump, Disney's Aladdin (1992), Pulp Fiction, Scream, and The Truman Show."
"A fan of the 90s I see." Bebe said.
"Yeah, I guess you can say that." Stan said, "Not that the movies made nowadays are bad, but nothing compares to the stuff they released back then. Speaking of movies, have you seen any good ones lately?"
"Well, last March I took my kids to see Pixar's Onward." Bebe said. "Pretty good movie if I do say so myself. Chris Pratt is in it and so is Tom Holland."
"Lyra loves Tom Holland." Stan said. "She could watch Spider-Man Homecoming again and again and never get tired of it, and she bawled her eyes out for a good few hours after seeing what happened to him in Infinity War."
"Tom Holland is a great actor." Bebe said, "Anyway, what movies have you seen recently."
"Last April I took Lyra to see the Mulan live-action remake." Stan said. "We both enjoyed it, but I wonder why they have to remake every single Disney animated movie."
"I know right." Bebe said. "If they're going to remake some Disney classics what about The Little Mermaid, or Hercules, or Pinnochio…
"…Or Treasure Planet, or Black Cauldron, or Atlantis: The Lost Empire." Stan chimed in.
"I see you're also a fan of underrated gems," Bebe said, "But I suppose a remake of those films wouldn't hurt."
"Just as long as J.J Abrams is chosen to direct the Treasure Planet or Atlantis remake." Stan said causing him and Bebe to laugh.
Bebe stopped laughing and looked around at the restaurant around her, she could help but crack a smile. "Eating here is bringing back some good memories of me and Kyle." She said, "We had our very first dinner date here."
"Really?" Stan said
"Yes. And, believe it or not he ordered the Shrimp Scampi as well…and I ordered the Chicken Marsala." Bebe said alluding to hers and Stan's dinner order.
"Déjà vu, am I right?" Stan joked.
"It is true what they say," Bebe said, "History does repeat itself. Anyway, that was easily my favorite date with Kyle. So, Stan, what I wanted to ask is what your favorite date with Wendy was."
"My favorite date with her was actually the October after I came back from boot camp, before I was shipped off to Iraq." Stan explained, "Wendy and I decided to go to Regal Cinemas in Denver for a marathon of movies. We watched Zombieland, Where the Wild Things Are, and Toy Story 1 & 2 in 3D, the latter being for nostalgic purposes. I remember all we did throughout all four movies was just hold hands and snuggle, never letting go for a second as we fed each other our snacks. I even remember in the middle of Toy Story, rubbing Wendy's belly, since she was still pregnant with Lyra at the time, and I say to her, 'Toy Story is going to be our baby's first movie when it's time for him/her to be born'. She agreed that it was a good idea. So yeah, that's my favorite date with Wendy."
"That's so nice." Bebe said, "Dumb question, but do you still miss Wendy."
"Of course," Stan said, "I miss her just as much as I'm sure you miss Kyle."
"Yeah, I still miss my Kyle a lot." Bebe said looking up at the ceiling. "I wonder if Wendy and Kyle are somewhere right now looking down on us. I wonder how they feel about us, you know, going out on this date."
"I imagine they're proud that we're putting ourselves out there again." Stan answered, "I bet they're in heaven right now hoping that this date is a gateway to something greater." Stan blushed and looked at Bebe when he said that last bit.
"Something greater?" Bebe said looking at Stan, also blushing a little, "L-Like what?"
Stan was about to bring up the notion of love, but he decided to wait on that, "Nothing, just thinking out loud." He said.
"Oh, okay," Bebe said. She looked as if she had something else on her mind, "Hey, Stan."
"What is it, Bebe?" Stan asked.
"After we see Sixteen Candles, do you think I can show you something?" Bebe asked, "Something I've only show to a few people."
"Uh…sure." Stan said, curious as to what Bebe wanted to show him.
A few more moments of waiting and dinner was served: Chicken Marsala for Bebe, and Shrimp Scampi for Stan. Once Ike left them to eat, Stan reached into the ice bucket to get the bottle of now chilled wine, and poured him and Bebe a glass. The two of them ate their dinner merrily, occasionally taking a break to ask how their meals taste, or talk some more about life, their kids, or just random things that are on their mind.
Still though, Stan couldn't help but think about what Bebe wanted to show him. Immediately he thought of possible scenarios:
"Is Bebe a hoarder and she wants to show me everything she's ever collected?"
"Does Bebe have an embarrassing health issue like 'Blue Waffle,' that she can only trust a few people with knowing?"
"Is Bebe secretly a serial killer and she wants to show me the disembodied heads of all her victims before adding mine to the collection?"
The possible scenarios were endless in Stan's mind. Nevertheless, Stan told himself to just eat his dinner and not think about it.
Once dinner was eaten and paid for, Stan and Bebe left the restaurant and headed for Town Square for Hollywood in the Park.
It was a short drive between Buca de Faggoncini and Town Square, about five minutes total. The limousine made it to the spot, and Stan and Bebe, with a big blanket in hand, walked to the stage that was set up in the middle of the square. The stage has big red curtains around it to give it the illusion of a movie theater, and center stage was a huge projector that the movie would be broadcast on. Stan unfolded the blanket and he and Bebe sat on it.
"My, Stan, this blanket feels so comfy." Bebe said, "And it smells nice too."
"Fresh from the Laundromat." Stan said, "I can tell you what detergents and fabric softeners I use."
"That sounds great, Stan, thanks." Bebe said.
"Hey, Bebe," Stan said, wanting to ask more about Bebe wanted to show him, "I know you said you wanted to show me something after this. Do you think you could elaborate a little bit?"
"This is something I'd rather keep secret until the time comes," Bebe said, "But I will tell you that involves you seeing a different side of me."
"Okay cool," Stan said before retreating to his thoughts again, "Different side? What could it be? A murderous side? A sex-craved side? A murderous and sex-craved side? No…no, Stan, don't be stupid. You've known Bebe since you both were kids. After a few incidents like the List thing, Bebe reformed. She is a perfectly normal woman. She wouldn't try anything, I know she wouldn't."
"Stan, are you okay?" Bebe asked, "You're kind of starring off into space"
Snapped back into reality, Stan said, "Yes, everything is fine, I just hope I tipped Ike enough back at the restaurant. He did a really good job."
"I'm sure you tipped him enough Stan, just relax." Bebe said at the movie started, "Hey, it's starting!"
Sixteen Candles has started. The next hour and a half was rather enjoyable for the two of them. About 20 minutes in, Bebe snuggled up next to Stan saying 'it was getting a little chilly.' Stan didn't mind and he put his arm around her, causing them both to blush. Anytime there was a good joke, the two of them would either chuckle warmly or bust out laughing. The latter was especially the case with the character Long Duk Dong, especially his quote, "Oh sexy girlfriend!" On the subject of quotes, when Bebe said she memorized the movie word for word, she wasn't kidding. Anytime a good scene came up, Stan would notice her mouthing out the lines. Most people would find that annoying, but not Stan. He actually thought it was kind of adorable.
At long last the movie had ended and it was met with the applause of everyone there, including Stan and Bebe.
"Before today I've never seen Sixteen Candles." Stan said as he and Bebe folded the blanket, "Now that I have, I can safely say that that was a very fun and enjoyable film. I'm glad I saw it."
"I'm glad you liked it," Bebe said smiling, "So, you ready to see what it is I have to show you?"
"Sure," Stan nervously said, "Lead the way."
Bebe and Stan headed back for the limousine. Stan got even more nervous when he heard Bebe ask the driver to take them to the 'U-STOR-IT Storage Facility.' "Oh God, maybe Bebe is a serial killer and wants to take me somewhere that my screams can't be heard." Stan thought worriedly.
Upon arriving to the storage facility, Bebe looked over at the nervous Stan. "Hey, are you feeling okay, Stan?" She asked concerned.
"Yeah, don't worry about me." Stan said breaking out in a cold sweat.
"Okay then," Bebe said, "So are you going to continue being a gentleman and get the door for me?"
"Sure, sorry about that." Stan said as he got out of his side of the limo and let Bebe out of her side. Bebe reached into her purse and pulled out the key to her storage unit.
"Alright, follow me," Bebe said motioning for Stan to follow.
As they walked through the storage facility, Stan couldn't help but notice how far out Bebe's storage unit was. They had to be a good distance away from the limousine.
"So, uh, how much farther is your storage unit?" Stan asked.
"Don't tell me your feet are getting tired?" Bebe teased, "My storage unit is one of the bigger ones. That's why it's all the way out here. Don't worry though, it's only a little while longer."
"Okay, great." Stan said as he looked around the area for anything he could use as a make-shift weapon just in case Bebe did have malicious intentions.
At long last, the couple arrived at the storage unit.
"Here we are!" Bebe said as she began to unlock the storage unit. "Hey, Stan, you think you can close your eyes? I want this to be a surprise."
"C-Close my eyes!" Stan said, heart beating out of his chest.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to try anything if that's what you're worried about." Bebe said, "Trust me."
"Alright, Bebe, I trust you." Stan reluctantly agreed as he shut his eyes.
Bebe unlocked the door to the storage unit and opened it up, "Okay Stan, take a look, open your eyes." She said.
Stan opened his eyes and was surprised at what he saw…
Inside the storage unit was a loads of well crafted paintings and drawings, all stacked or hung up. Near the back wall of the unit was a table that held all sorts of paints, brushes, crayons, and other writing utensils. Leaning next to the table was an easel and a few unused canvases. Bebe guided Stan inside so he could have a better look around.
"So, what do you think?" Bebe asked, "Have a look around."
Stan went around looking at all of the paintings Bebe had in storage. Some of the paintings were mainly landscape paintings like buildings and businesses in town, or random places that were in neighboring towns or counties. He even saw that a few of the paintings appeared to be in an aerial view.
Other paintings had what looked like people in them. People walking down the street, people around a dinner table, people hanging out at Stark's Pond, just to name a few.
Finally, there were images that appeared to pay homage to well known movies, T.V shows, or video games. Examples Stan saw would be Dr. Strange, Harry Potter, and Mickey Mouse from Fantasia getting into a magic battle, Alex DeLarge and his droogs walking across the street from the Beatles' Abbey Road cover, and Sora from Kingdom Hearts pulling a keyblade from a stone a la King Arthur.
One painting that really caught Stan's eye was what appeared to be two kids collecting seashells at the beach. Stan couldn't help but notice that the kids looked familiar.
"You like that one, don't you?" Bebe asked causing Stan to turn in her direction, "I took a picture of Felix and Isabella collecting seashells when we visited Miami back in 2017, then I took that picture and transformed it into the painting you see before you."
"W-Wait, you painted this…did you paint all of this?!" Stan asked with shock.
"Take a look at the corners of all these paintings and see for yourself." Bebe said. Stan looked at all of the painting in his reach, and saw that all of them had Bebe's signature on one of the corners of the canvas.
"Oh my God!" Stan said amazed, "You actually painted all of these! And they're all really good, dare I say they're almost museum quality!"
"You really think so?" Bebe asked.
"Hell yeah!" Stan said, "I mean, look at the detail in these paintings. How long did it take you to make these?"
"At most about a week." Bebe said, amazing Stan even more.
"Usually it takes a trained artist at least a couple of years to make a masterpiece, but you…you do it in a week!" Stan said.
"Yeah, some sleep had to be sacrificed to make these though." Bebe said, "At most I got like four hours of sleep a night. I like to blame this hobby on my addiction to coffee."
"This is amazing." Stan said, "How long have you been doing art like this?"
"Well, it all started back in my 8th grade year of Middle School," Bebe began, "I decided to take art as an elective and my first project was to make a portrait of someone. I call Kyle over one night so I can make my portrait about him. I finish the portrait and I show it to him. Kyle was downright amazed by it, all of the colors and details that went into it. My teacher loved it so much that I got an A+ on it. As more projects were assigned, the more As that I got. As I worked on these projects, I found myself enjoying it. I just wouldn't rest until whatever project I was working on was downright perfect. I always felt so proud of myself whenever I displayed my work, especially at the school's art show, where I'd always make it to at least the Top 3"
"Things got crazier by the time I reached high school," Bebe continued, "I used any money that I saved up to buy art supplies and a drone to take aerial photographs that I'd later turn into a beautiful painting. I'd go out on the weekends and find a good landscape or scene to make a painting out of, and then I'd finish said painting a week later. I remember when you guys were out at Boot Camp and Iraq was when I really got to work painting. I painted more landscape photos, I painted Wendy when she was pregnant with Lyra, I painted our Thanksgiving feast before you boys went to war, I painted Bridon when he was playing on his high school basketball team, I just couldn't stop."
"I even painted some paintings that pertained to whatever was going on in my life at the time." Bebe said, "You remember how Kyle had PTSD when he got home from war?"
"Yeah, I remember sometime after Lyra was born he told me he had frequent nightmares when he returned." Stan said, "Me and the rest of the guys probably had at least one bad dream about the war when we came home. I never dreamed about if frequently, and as far as I know the rest of the guys never dreamt about it frequently either."
"His PTSD calmed down some when he attended those meetings and took medicine, but he still got them at least once a week." Bebe said, "It wasn't until Felix was born that the nightmares practically subsided. Anyway, I made these two paintings in regards to that."
Bebe showed Stan the two pictures. The first picture appeared to be a man that looked just like Kyle, cowering in fear with his hands on his head as three shadowy demon figures loom over him menacingly.
The second picture appeared to be that same man reaching out, ready to catch a baby angel that looked just like Felix. There were golden skies painted in the latter picture to act at the background.
"So, yeah, that's my story and I'm sticking to it." Bebe said.
"Wow, Bebe, just wow!" Stan said, still amazed, "I still can't believe you painted all of this."
"Well believe it, Stan." Bebe said.
"And you said you enjoyed making all of these paintings." Stan asked.
"Yeah, I wouldn't have even made half of these paintings if I didn't enjoy it." Bebe said.
"So answer me this, Bebe." Stan said, "If you really enjoyed art so much, why didn't you pursue a career in the art field instead of being an eye doctor. I especially wonder that because of how goddamn amazing most of these paintings turned out."
"I just didn't think being an artist was that lucrative of a career." Bebe explained, "I mean, it's not like I haven't thought about it. Hell, before I graduated I had dreams of being a great artist with my own studio. It's just that Kyle and I made plans to have a family and get married at the time. He was trying to become a lawyer, so I figured I'd put any dream I had about art on hold so I can go to school and get my bachelor's degree in optometry as that was a lucrative career and I seemed to grasp onto the concepts perfectly. Nowadays, art is nothing more than just another hobby."
"Just another hobby!" Stan said in shock, "Bebe, don't you see? You have a real gift here. Not only that, but it's a gift that you enjoy using. Do you know how many people would kill to do what they love for a living? I mean, when I graduated high school, I had no idea what I wanted for my future. That was actually one of many reasons why I joined the Marines, because I thought it would give me something to do until something else came along. I had no real dreams to speak of. But you, you had a good idea right out the gate. You had the talent and the passion to make your dream a reality…but you instead chose to make it a hobby and waste all of that talent. It doesn't matter if your job is lucrative as long as you love what you do. I mean, I understand now it's hard because you're a single mom raising three kids, so now you have no choice but to keep your eye doctor job, but that doesn't mean you can't make this painting a side gig to make extra cash. You can still live your dream of being an artist. I believe in you, Bebe, and I know you make this work."
Bebe let these words sink in, and she realized that Stan was right. While being an eye doctor is far from the worst job she ever had, she knows she would rather be an artist. She realized at that moment that the amount of money you make doesn't bring happiness, it's the job you do that does. Bebe took a good look at all of the paintings and drawings that she made, and was disgusted at herself for not taking this passion and talent to greater heights. Like Stan said, even a side gig involving art would at least give Bebe an outlet to work with.
"You're right Stan," Bebe said, "I should've focused more on my dreams. I should've used my talent and passion to pursue greater things. I should've made this a side job to at least let myself live out my dream a little bit." She turned to Stan and hugged him, which he returned. After releasing the hug, Bebe had just one question.
"So, how am I going to live out my dream now?" Bebe asked.
"Well, you have like at least 200 paintings here…" Stan said.
"Actually it's about 350." Bebe said, cutting him off.
"350!" Stan said shocked.
"I had a lot of free time on my hands back then, and enough free time nowadays to turn out a new painting in 2-4 weeks." Bebe explained "But go on."
"Anyway, you could start by selling some of these painting and see how much they're worth." Stan suggested.
Bebe released the hug and took a look around at the painting again. "While that is a good idea, I don't know would buy any of these?"
"Trust me, Bebe, something is always made for someone." Stan said, "You just have to put it out there first."
As the two of them were conversing, a security guard was doing his nightly rounds when he saw them.
"Good evening, you two," The guard said, "How are we doing today?"
"We're doing fine, sir, thank you." Stan said.
The security guard look around at all of the paintings that Bebe had made. "These are some nice paintings," He said, "Did you guys make these?"
"Actually I did, sir." Bebe said raising her hand.
It was at that moment when the guard saw her painting of the two kids collecting seashells. He looked at it and admired all of the work that was put into it. All of the colors and detail in the painting. "Did you make this one?" The guard asked.
"Yeah." Bebe said. "I made that painting when my family and I visited Miami Beach."
"It looks so well done." The guard said, "I believe art tells a story. When I see these two kids I think, like you said, kids who are on vacation. Or they don't have to be on vacation, they could be friends spending the day collecting seashells. Whether these kids have been friends for a long time or just met is up to interpretation, but either way I love it! There's also the fact that I used to vacation in Miami Beach with my mom and dad. Brings back good childhood memories. It speaks to me." The guard turned to Bebe and asked, "How much are you willing to sell it for?"
"You want to buy this painting?" Bebe said surprised.
"Of course." The guard said, "I haven't seen original artwork in a long time, especially of good quality like this. So how about it, is $150 dollars good enough for you?"
"$150 dollars?" Bebe said surprised, but the guard mistook her surprise for her wanting more money.
"Not enough, okay how I double it and make it $300 dollars." The guard asked.
"Uh, okay, sure." Bebe said, "$300 dollars it is."
"Great." The guard said, "I'll be back, I just have to find an ATM."
The guard left and came back a few minutes later with the $300 dollars. Bebe and Stan counted the money to make sure it was all there while the guard took the painting.
"Thank you, miss, I'm grateful." The guard said as he left with the painting.
"Pleasure doing business with you, sir." Bebe said.
"Have a nice night." Stan said. He and Bebe looked at the money she had just earned. "So, you just made $300 dollars in five minutes. How do you feel?"
"I feel pretty damn good." Bebe answered, "Definitely the easiest $300 I ever made. So, yeah, Stan. Maybe you're right. Each individual painting is made for someone out there. Maybe I should start selling some of these, and make room for more. There's that website called Wix where I can make my own website. I could put some of my paintings on there, think of a price that's fair for each of them, and let the chips fall where they may."
"Alright, Bebe!" Stan cheered. "This is going to work out great for you, I know it is. Like I said, I believe in you. If you ever need help, I'm right here."
"Thanks, Stan." Bebe said, "And thank you for motivating me to pursue my dream."
"My pleasure," Stan said as he looked at the clock and saw it was almost midnight, "Wow, it's almost midnight. I guess it's about time we wrap this date up."
"Before we do, Stan, I have just one question for you." Bebe said.
"What's that?" Stan asked.
"Well, you see, with all of our kids sleeping over elsewhere tonight, and both of our spouses dead, I just want to know if you'd like to…sleep with me tonight?" Bebe asked.
"Uh, sleep with you?" Stan asked confused, "You do realize this is only our first date right. Don't you think doing that is rushing it a bit."
"No, Stan, I don't mean sex." Bebe said, "I mean just you sleeping over at my house for the night. See, with the house all to myself tonight, I feel it'll get a little lonely…and even a little scary. I'm sure you feel the same way whenever Lyra isn't home. I just need someone to keep me company you know? So, can you do it?"
Stan thought for a minute. Lyra did say to him that Clyde and Red would drop her off at his place at noon tomorrow. As long as Stan was back at his home by then it shouldn't be a problem.
"Okay, Bebe, I'll do it." Stan said causing Bebe to hug him again.
"Thank you, Stan, you don't know how much that means to me." Bebe said.
"I just have to stop off at my house first to grab a pair of pajamas." Stan said.
"Of course," Bebe said, "Alright, let's go."
With that, the two of them closed and locked the storage unit and headed back for the limousine. Like Stan said, they stopped off at his house so he could get his pajamas, toiletries, and clothes for the following morning. Once everything was gathered, the two of them headed back for Bebe's house.
Upon arriving at the Broflovski residence, Stan tipped the limousine driver for his services and it drove off. Stan and Bebe were tired after a fun evening like that, so they decided to head straight to bed. Bebe guided Stan to the master bedroom and opened the door showing him inside.
The master bedroom was beautiful. The walls were white with a light gray molding. On the walls were pictures of Kyle, Bebe, Felix, Isabella, and Matthew. The bedroom had three windows attached to the back wall with white curtains. On the right side of the room (Upon entering the room anyways) was a king sized canopy bed with grey sheets and matching pillowcases and canopy curtain. On both sides of the bed were white side tables, each with a lamp standing on them. On wall facing the bed was a doorway that led to the master bathroom. On each side of that door way was a dresser, both of which held the clothes of Kyle and Bebe. Despite Kyle being dead, Bebe still liked to hold onto his clothes. When he first died, she'd often got to sleep holding or even wearing some of Kyle's clothes.
"Pretty sweet bedroom." Stan said.
"Thanks," Bebe said, "You can get changed in the bathroom over there. I'll get changed in here."
"Okay." Stan said as he took his stuff with him in the bathroom and shut the door.
Bebe's bathroom was even more beautiful than her bedroom. It had yellow walls with white penny tiles. The bathroom also had a mahogany double sink vanity, a bathtub in one corner of the room, and a large shower stall with glass walls next to it. Next to the shower was a towel rack that had towels that matched the walls. Upon entering the bathroom, if Stan looks to his right, he could find a white porcelain toilet with a toilet paper dispenser built in the wall.
"Wow, being an eye doctor and a lawyer must be lucrative careers if they can live like this." Stan said referring to Kyle and Bebe's respective occupation, at least before the former passed away.
Stan dropped his duffle bag next to the vanity, taking out his pajamas in the process, a pair of red flannel pajama pants and a black t-shirt. He slipped his pajamas on and tossed his date clothes into the duffle bag.
Once he was all dressed and ready for bed, Stan knocked on the door to see if it was okay for him to come in.
"You can come in now, Stan, I have my pajamas on." Bebe said on the other side of the door.
Stan opened the door and saw Bebe in her pajamas. She was wearing white silk pajama pants and shirt with lacy sleeves.
"Ready for bed, Stan?" Bebe asked.
"Sure." Stan said.
Bebe climbed into her side of the bed while Stan climbed into the other side. The two of them turned off the lights and covered themselves up with the blankets.
"Stan," Bebe said, "I hate to be demanding but…can you come closer to me? I just want to be held."
"Sure, Bebe," Stan said as he wiggled closer to Bebe and wrapped his arms around her.
"Thank you," Bebe said as she started cuddling with Stan, nuzzling her face into his chest.
"Getting a little cozy there aren't we?" Stan joked, causing Bebe to stop.
"I'm sorry," Bebe said, "I just missed having someone to cuddle with. I can't help myself."
"I understand," Stan said, "That's why I didn't tell you to stop."
"Are you sure it's okay?" Bebe asked.
"Yeah," Stan said, "I missed having someone sleep in bed with me too, to be honest. It feels nice to have some cuddle next to you."
"I know what you mean," Bebe said, "Ever since Kyle died, this bed just felt too big and lonely. That's why I'm glad you're doing this for me, Stan. You're so great."
"Thank you, Bebe," Stan said, "You're pretty great too."
Bebe yawns and wraps her arms around Stan. "You think you can hold me as I sleep?" She asked.
"Only if you hold me while I sleep." Stan said.
"Deal," Bebe said as she nuzzled her face into Stan's strong chest again, "Goodnight, Stan. I'll see you in the morning."
"Night Bebe, sleep well," Stan said. After he said that though, out of nowhere, he gave Bebe a quick peck on the crown of her head. She didn't seem to mind though.
"Thanks for that," Bebe said, "And thank you for taking me out tonight."
"My pleasure," Stan said.
Five minutes later and Stan and Bebe were fast asleep in each other's arms, happy that their first date together was a success.
TO BE CONTINUED…
(Cue Don't Think Twice by Hikaru Utada (Once again, characters and events that have yet to appear/happen will be mentioned here))
(How did I live in a kingdom of thieves? And people who say things they don't really mean?)
(It's a sunny day and Wendy and Stan are dancing together outside and right next to them are Kyle and Bebe, who are also dancing. Suddenly, the sunny skies turn stormy and Wendy is ripped away from Stan, and Kyle is ripped away from Bebe, both couples trying in vein to reach out to one another. Wendy and Kyle go up into the sky, can the ground gives weight for Stan and Bebe to fall down)
(You're only everything I ever dreamed. Ever dreamed of, ever dreamed of)
(As Stan and Bebe fall, they are enveloped by a red colored paint type substance. Behind the paint is a shadowy figure. It smiles evilly. This figure is one of Jacques Brodeur)
(You must be kidding me, did you really think I could say no?)
(Stan's daughter Lyra, and Bebe's son Felix are running through a grassy plain and two balls of light fall from the sky. The light balls reveal themselves as Wendy and Kyle, who hold their hands out to their children)
(I want you for a lifetime. So if you're gonna think twice, baby. I don't wanna know, baby, I don't wanna know)
(Cartman is standing in front of a statue of a heart. He pulls out a gun and shoots it, causing it to break. Shelly then appears and collapses to the ground, heartbroken)
(Everything is just right. But if you're gonna think twice, baby. I don't wanna know, baby, I don't wanna know)
(Sometime later, Cody Oppenheimer finds the broken pieces of the heart and puts them back together)
(I really don't get what everyone else believes. So why do I say things I don't really mean, really mean.)
(Late at night, Lola and Kenny are in bed. But while Lola is sleeping, Kenny is looking up more information about the crystals he heard about in war)
(I'm only crying 'cause I never dreamed. It'd take this long, it'd take this long)
(Kenny thinks about General Rakish with the big purple crystal floating over him. Suddenly, eight more smaller crystals circle around the big purple one: A red one, a blue one, a green one, a gold one, a pink one, an orange one, a white one, and a black one)
(I want you for a lifetime. So if you're gonna think twice, baby. I don't wanna know, baby, I don't wanna know.)
(General Rakish turns into another villain, Carlos Murciélago. The crystals are still floating over him, and the background changes to the grassy plain from before. The main adults and children are watching in horror at the sight before them)
(Everything is just right. But if you're gonna think twice, baby. I don't wanna know, baby, I don't wanna know)
(Carlos summons a demon warship from out of nowhere and easily takes out the adults and younger children, much to the older children's horror)
(Don't think twice, don't think twice. Don't think twice, baby, don't think twice)
(The children are crying and look like they're going to lose hope when an astral projection of Sir Justice appears. The sight of the unknown hero inspires the children to not give up and put the villain down. The children and Sir Justice charge at Carlos and the warship)
(If you want to take it to an even higher level. All you gotta do is say the word, you know I'll follow. If you wanna take it to an even higher level. I don't, I don't bite)
(Outside of the dream, Isabella Broflovski is looking at a picture of Kyle. Behind him Stan places a hand on her shoulder, which Isabella brushes off and walks away)
(If you want to make it happen, nothing's impossible. All you gotta do is say the word, the walls will crumble. If you want to make it happen, nothing's impossible)
(Shelly gets up from her heartbreak and finds Cody holding a hand out to pick her up. Shelly grabs Cody's hand and we cut to the next scene)
(I want you for a lifetime. So if you're gonna think twice, baby. I don't wanna know, baby, I don't wanna know)
(Stan and Jacques are fighting for Bebe's affections)
(Everything is just right. But if you're gonna think twice, baby. I don't wanna know, baby, I don't wanna know)
(Felix and Lyra are in a dark area, the look behind them to find a older, dying boy in a hospital bed. This boy is named Byron. Lyra and Felix try and run to the hospital bed to see him, but once again, the ground gives weight and the two kids fall into darkness)
(Kiss me once, kiss me twice, kiss me three times. Cross the line)
(Stan and Bebe are alone on a hill somewhere admiring the sunset. The two of them look into each other's eyes before making a move to kiss each other)
(Don't think twice, don't think twice. Don't think twice, baby, don't think twice)
(Cut to night time on that same hill where the Marshes, Broflovskis, Donovans, Tweaks, Tuckers, Cartmans, Stotches, McCormicks, and Oppenheimers are looking up at a full moon. Some of the kids are asleep, but those who are awake are enjoying the company and the beauty of the night sky)
And now, onto Shelly and Cody's date night.