The day after the family returned from Lake Tahoe, Jesse and Rebecca took the twins to Nebraska for Christmas, and the day after Christmas Danny and Vicky left on their honeymoon, leaving Joey in charge of the girls for almost a full week. Danny trusted Joey and figured he would be just fine on his own with the girls, but when Jesse and Becky returned home, they found the living room in a state of disarray that Jesse hadn't seen since he and Joey first moved in.

"Girls, Joey, we're home!" Jesse called as he walked in the front door. He and Becky walked in, each carrying a suitcase in one hand and a toddler in the other. When nobody responded, Jesse called out again. "Deej, Steph, Michelle, Joey! We're home!" When Jesse stopped to look around the room, he screamed, which finally got the attention of the others in the house.

"Hey, Jess! Welcome home! What's wrong?" Joey asked sincerely. Jesse glared at Joey and then gestured towards the messy living room.

Becky could see there was about to be an argument and took the opportunity to flee the scene. "Okay, boys! Why don't we go upstairs and unpack all of your new toys from Grandma and Grandpa?" she said cheerfully, scurrying out of the room.

Once the twins were out of earshot, Jesse lashed out at Joey. "Joey, would you look at this place?! It's a pigsty! What on Earth happened? Where are the girls? Danny and Vicky will be home in less than two hours. Do you have any idea what Danny's gonna do if he comes back from his honeymoon and sees his house looking like this?!"

"Okay, Jesse, I can explain. See - " Joey was interrupted when Kimmy Gibbler came in through the kitchen door carrying a plate full of fried chicken.

"Hey, thanks for letting me sleep over here while Mr. and Mrs. T went on their honeymoon. My parents went on a cruise and my brother's following Weird Al on tour." Kimmy made herself comfortable on the couch and put her feet up on the coffee table before diving into the fried chicken.

"Kimmy!" Joey exclaimed, "That was supposed to be tonight's dinner!"

Jesse gave Joey a playful slap. "Joey! Forget the chicken! Look at this house! There are clothes flung everywhere! There are trash bags all over the place. What in the hell happened?"

Before Joey could answer, the three Tanner daughters appeared at the top of the stairs. "Uncle Jesse, you're home!" Michelle exclaimed, running downstairs to hug her favorite uncle.

"Shorty!" Jesse exclaimed, opening his arms to embrace his niece. He smothered her with kisses. "Oh, I missed you, kid! Now, you wanna tell your Uncle J why this house is such a mess?"

Michelle shrugged her shoulders. "It wasn't me!" she said, turning around to look at her older sisters. Jesse looked up at DJ and Stephanie, who smiled sheepishly.

"Girls, you better start explaining fast! What happened here?"

"Well, see," DJ began, "Last night Joey went out with Roxie, and Kimmy suggested that we - "

"Hey, don't throw me under the bus!" Kimmy cried, "Steve was the one who said that we should invite over the whole wrestling team to watch the game!"

"You were the one who told them all to bring their girlfriends!" DJ yelled.

Her last accusation led to indistinct squabbling between the two best friends. Stephanie threw her hand in the air and made her way down the stairs. "Let the record show that I was upstairs the whole time doing homework and had nothing to do with this!"

"Oh, really?" Uncle Jesse questioned his middle niece, "Your teacher gave you homework over Christmas break?"

"Yeah!" Steph said quickly, "We have to write a report, on, uh, sporting events! Around the world!" Stephanie laughed nervously.

"Likely story!" Jesse replied, "Look, it doesn't matter anymore how this mess got here. What matters is that your dad is about to come home from a nice, relaxing honeymoon with Vicky, and if he comes home and sees this, well, he may very well just explode right before our very eyes, alright? So let's get moving!"

The whole family obliged and hurried to get cleaning supplies. For the next two hours, the family worked to put the Tanner living room back to its original state, all while singing and dancing along to "Shake Your Groove Thing". All the while, Kimmy stayed put on the couch, enjoying her chicken as the Tanners cleaned around her.

By the time Danny and Vicky returned, Jesse, Joey, and the girls had restored the Tanner living room to its former glory and were standing a row in front of the door waiting to welcome the newlyweds home. When Danny and Vicky came in, Danny was fully clad in a floral print shirt, Bermuda shorts, and a lei. Vicky was wearing a floral print dress and a matching lei. The couple was greeted with a chorus of "Welcome Homes" and of course, hugs.

"How was Hawaii?" DJ asked excitedly.

"Oh, it was gorgeous!" Vicky gushed, "Bright sunshine. Warm sand. Blue ocean water. You know, I did a story there on an erupting volcano a few years ago, but I wasn't there long enough to really see how beautiful it was. And, of course, I had a wonderful travel companion!" She smiled at Danny, who smiled back and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Oh, we had a great time," said Danny. "Until I got stung by that jellyfish." Vicky nodded sympathetically and put her hand on her husband's shoulder.

"Well, Darling, at least you didn't get sunburned!" Vicky said cheerfully.

Danny nodded in agreement and stood up from the couch. "You, know, Joey, I really appreciate you staying here with the girls while Jesse and I were both gone. Although I'm sure they didn't give you any trouble. Right, girls?" The girls nodded in unison.

"No, Danny, the girls were great, as usual! We all had a great time," Joey assured his buddy. The girls gave appreciative smiles for covering for them.

"Well, I'd better go to the kitchen and see about dinner, since I'm guessing Kimmy's chicken was supposed to be dinner." Joey nodded vigorously, not afraid to throw his petulant neighbor under the bus. Danny walked into the kitchen and immediately came back out, looking like he'd seen a ghost. "WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED TO MY KITCHEN?!" He screamed. This time, all three men looked at the girls for an explanation. DJ and Stephanie pointed fingers at Kimmy and the three girls started arguing again. The three men started yelling over each other, lecturing the girls. Michelle used the chaos as an opportunity to escape upstairs. Vicky simply sat back and watched, smiling. She was home.


Vicky stood in the kitchen preparing dinner as the girls walked in with Steve and Kimmy in tow. "Hey, Vicky!" they all greeted her.

"Hi, guys! How was school?" Vicky asked.

"Oh, it was great! The cafeteria finally brought back tater tots," replied Steve.

"Well, isn't that… nice!" said Vicky, "How about you, girls?"

"I have to build a family tree for school," said Michelle.

"Oh, well that sounds like a fun project!"

"For most kids, maybe. They just have a mom and a dad. I have a mom, a dad, a Vicky, an Uncle Jesse, an Aunt Becky, a Nicky, an Alex, and a Joey! Where the heck is a Joey supposed to fit on a family tree?!" Michelle exclaimed. Vicky laughed.

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out," Vicky assured her.

"Hey, Vicky, how did your doctor's appointment go?" DJ asked.

"Yeah, did they give you any pictures of the baby?" Stephanie chimed in.

"They sure did!" said Vicky. She walked over to the dining room table and pulled the photos from her purse. "Take a look!" she squealed, handing the photos to DJ. Stephanie and Michelle hurried to their oldest sister's side to get a closer look at the newest Tanner.

"I don't see anything," said Michelle.

"Well, do you see that little blurry white blob in the corner?" DJ asked.

"Uh-huh," Michelle nodded.

"That's the baby, Michelle!" DJ exclaimed. Michelle frowned.

"I don't believe you," said Michelle.

"It's true, Michelle," Vicky said, "That's how small the baby is still. It doesn't even have arms or legs yet."

"Oh. I better go start on my family tree project." Michelle retreated upstairs to her room.

"So, Vicky, how are you feeling?" DJ asked.

"You know, not too bad," Vicky answered, "I do get a little nauseous when my stomach is empty and there are certain smells that make me sick like your dad's cologne," Vicky cringed.

"Oh yeah. Doesn't it smell kind of like lavender with a hint of rosemary?" Stephanie asked.

"Yes, exactly!"

"That's not cologne," said DJ, "it's fabric softener." DJ and Stephanie laughed. Vicky rolled her eyes.

"Remind me later to convince your dad to let me do the grocery shopping from now on." all three girls chuckled. "Well, I hope you're all hungry," said Vicky, "because I'm making tacos!"

"That sounds great, Vicky!" Steve replied, "Hey, thanks for letting us stay for dinner."

"Oh, it's no problem!" Vicky exclaimed, "I'm already cooking for ten people as it is, what's a couple more? And besides, you two are around so much anyway, I kind of see you as part of the family too!"

"My parents feel the exact same way!" Kimmy replied.

"Yeah. I bet they've felt that way ever since the UFO dropped you off on their doorstep!" Stephanie retorted before going upstairs to start on her homework.

"Hey, Deej, tell Vicky about your new assignment for the school paper!" Steve encouraged his girlfriend proudly.

"Well," DJ explained, "students have been protesting these proposed changes to the school dress code, so the newspaper chose me to interview our principal about it, and the interview is going to be broadcast live for the entire school next Friday!"

Vicky gasped. "DJ, that's wonderful!"

"Thanks," DJ responded gratefully, "I'm excited, but I'm super nervous. Vicky, do you think you could help me practice?" she asked.

"Are you kidding? DJ, I would love to help!" Vicky exclaimed.

"See, Deej, what did I tell you? Between Vicky, your dad, and your Aunt Becky, you'll learn how to be a pro interviewer in no time!" said Steve.

"Steve is right, DJ. You've got a house full of talented journalists to show you the tricks of the trade. You're gonna do great," Vicky assured her.

"Thanks, Vicky," DJ before turning her attention back to Kimmy and Steve. "We'd better go get our homework done now so I can start practicing for my interview right after dinner." Steve and Kimmy obliged and followed DJ upstairs, leaving Vicky alone again in the kitchen. However, after just a few moments, her husband walked in from the living room door.

"Hi, honey! How was your day? Did everything go okay with the doctor this morning?" Danny asked his wife.

"Yes, everything went perfectly fine. Look at this picture they gave me!" Vicky showed Danny the sonogram photo.

"Aww, would you look at that?" Danny said lovingly, "If I squint hard enough, it looks exactly like my Great Grandpa Harry!" Danny and Vicky laughed, and Danny kissed his wife. "Are the girls home yet?" Danny asked.

"Uh-huh! They're upstairs working on homework. So how did the show go today? I'm so sorry I missed it!"

"Oh, it was great! We did a segment on the cleanest public restrooms in San Francisco. A Chinese restaurant! Who would have thought, right?" Vicky giggled. "Oh, and I've got some great news. I was talking to Mr. Strowbridge today, and he said that the network is going to start auditioning hosts for a new lifestyle show about women's health. You would be perfect for it!"

"Did you already tell Mr. Strowbridge that I would audition?" Vicky asked warily.

"Of course, I thought it was a no-brainer! What's the matter? I thought you'd be excited about this, Vicky. I know how bummed out you were when that field reporting gig fell through."

"You're right, I was bummed out, and I am excited about the audition, it's just that, I don't know. After traveling so much for work the past couple of years, it's been nice to just be here at home the past few weeks taking care of the house and the kids. I've been so focused on my career for so long that it's been nice to slow down and finally take a break, you know?"

Danny smiled sympathetically at his wife. "I totally understand, and you've been doing a wonderful job taking care of things around here. But I know you, and I know that sooner or later you're going to go stir crazy just being around the house all the time."

"Oh, you're probably right. I guess there's no harm in going to the audition. Who knows if I would even get the part anyway?" Vicky wondered aloud.

"Well, that's the spirit!" Danny answered sarcastically, "I'm going to go say hi to the girls," he said, standing up from his seat at the kitchen counter. "Dinner smells great by the way!" Danny exclaimed as he made his way upstairs.


That evening, the family sat down to dinner and the table was abuzz with the usual chatter as everyone discussed their respective days.

"So I'm interviewing the principal in a live broadcast in front of the entire school next Friday!" DJ finished telling the rest of the family about her assignment. The adults cheered and showered DJ with a chorus of praise and congratulations.

"DJ, that's wonderful. I'm sure you'll do great," her father encouraged, "And hey! If you need any pointers on how to give a great interview, I'm your man!"

"Don't worry, Danny. I already told DJ she's got three experienced journalists right here at home who would be happy to help her. I was even thinking we could take her to the set of Wake Up, San Francisco one day after school so she can practice in a real professional setting!" Vicky said excitedly.

"Oh, Vicky, that's a great idea!" exclaimed Aunt Becky, "That way you can practice with cameras pointed at you and everything. When I was on "A.M. Omaha", I had to practice in front of a mirror in my old bedroom at my parents' house with my little brothers running all over the place. One time I was reporting on a housefire and accidentally told a firefighter to put down my bra and get out of my room!" Becky laughed awkwardly.

"Oh, Michelle. I've got some bad news," said Joey, "I'm going to be working late on Ranger Joe tomorrow so I can't help with the school art gallery tomorrow. I'm sorry."

"But Joey -"

"Oh, it's okay, Michelle. I can help with the art gallery!" Vicky assured her.

"Vicky, you really don't have to -" Danny started to say before his wife cut him off.

"No, Danny, it's fine! I'm happy to do it. Now that I live here, I think it's important for me to be involved in the girls' lives and helping at school is part of that. Really, it's no problem!"

"Vicky, can you also help me with my family tree project?" Michelle asked sweetly.

"You got it, Dude!" Vicky replied, giving Michelle a thumbs up. They both laughed. As the chatter around the table dispersed into various side conversations, Stephanie got up from her seat. "Dad, may I be excused? I don't feel too well. I think I'm going to go to bed early."

"Of course, honey. Is there anything I can get you?" Danny asked, concerned.

"No, I just have a little stomachache. I'm sure I'll be fine in the morning." Stephanie put her plate in the sink and went upstairs.


The next morning, Michelle and her friends were eagerly helping Vicky put up art displays in the school gym.

"These flowers are beautiful, Michelle! Did you draw them all by yourself?" Vicky asked. Michelle laughed. "No, that's Derek's!" she explained.

"But thank you for the compliment, Mrs. Tanner," Derek said politely, "I used a dark shade of purple at the bottom to give the illusion of a shadow."

"Well, isn't that clever?!" Vicky remarked, stapling the painting to a bulletin board. "And there we go! That's the last of them. Doesn't the art gallery look great?!" The kids nodded enthusiastically.

"And none of this would have been possible without our parent volunteer!" Derek exclaimed appreciatively, "I understand that Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Katsopolis have been quite occupied lately with their radio show and Mr. Gladstone's TV show, so it's wonderful that you're here, Mrs. Tanner!"

Vicky smiled. "Well, thank you, Derek! I appreciate the vote of confidence!" Vicky and the kids stood for a moment admiring the artwork before they were interrupted.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Tanner? We just got a call from the junior high school. Stephanie is sick and she needs you to come and pick her up."

"Oh, dear!" Vicky exclaimed, "I'm sorry, Michelle. I have to go."

"That's okay, Vicky! Thanks again for coming to help," Michelle gave Vicky a hug before she had to hurry off.


Vicky pulled up to Van Atta Junior High where Stephanie was waiting on a bench outside the door. "Steph, Sweetie, are you okay? What happened?" Vicky asked after Stephanie got in the car.

"I'm okay. My stomach just still hurts. That's all," Stephanie assured her stepmother. Vicky put her hand on Stephanie's forehead. "You don't feel warm, so that's a good sign," Vicky noticed.

"Vicky, could we stop at the drugstore on the way home? There are a couple of things I want to get."

"Of course, Steph. Anything you need!" Vicky then looked down and noticed that Stephanie's jacket was tied around her waist on a rather chilly January day in San Francisco, and the realization finally set in of what must have happened.

"Steph, is there any particular reason that you told the school to call me and not your dad or Jesse or Joey?" Vicky inquired.

"Well, I called Dad's work, but he didn't pick up," Stephanie lied. Vicky gave her a look as if to say, "We both know you're lying." "Okay, fine. I wanted a woman to talk to because - "

"Stephanie, you don't have to say it. I understand."

"You do?" Stephanie asked.

"Of course! This is something totally normal that every girl your age goes through. And I can definitely understand wanting to have a woman to talk to about these kinds of things. I'm glad that you felt comfortable enough to call me."

"You're not gonna tell my dad about this, are you?" Stephanie asked.

"Well, since I'm picking you up from school early, I kind of have to. But I won't tell him that I took you out for ice cream on the way home!" Vicky smirked.

"Oh, Vicky, you're the best!" Stephanie exclaimed.

"Well, first we need to go to the drugstore and get you the necessary supplies, plus a hot water bottle and some painkillers for those stomach cramps."

"Oh, yes, please!" Stephanie sighed with relief. "You're lucky that you're pregnant so you have to deal with all of this for a while." Vicky laughed.

"Believe me, Steph. Pregnancy comes with its own set of "stuff" that you'll learn all about when your time comes. It's no picnic!" The girls laughed.


Later that afternoon, Vicky and Michelle sat at the kitchen table with piles of photo albums surrounding them. "Alright, Michelle. Which picture of your Daddy do you want to put on your family tree?" Vicky asked.

Michelle picked up one of the albums and pulled a photo out. "I like this one. DJ took this on Daddy's birthday when he saw what Uncle Jesse did to his old car. DJ says the car sank to the bottom of the bay!"

"Ah, yes. Your Dad told me that story. Poor Bullet!"

"And for Uncle Jesse, I'll use this picture from when he broke both of his arms!" Michelle exclaimed proudly.

"Here's a good one of your Grandma and Grandpa Katsopolis. This must have been at Jesse and Rebecca's wedding," Vicky noticed. Michelle reached across the table and pulled a photo from a different album. "My Daddy took this picture of me and my Mommy the day they brought me home from the hospital."

"Aww, Michelle, that's a beautiful picture! You look just like your Mommy, you know!"

"You think so?" Michelle asked.

"I sure do!" said Vicky. Michelle was quiet for a minute. "Vicky, I'm glad you and my Daddy got married. Now I'll know what it's like to have a mommy!"

"Oh, Michelle, I'm glad too. But I want to know that nobody could ever replace your Mommy. I know you don't remember her, but I'm sure your Daddy and Stephanie and DJ could tell you all kinds of stories about how wonderful she was and how much she loved you."

"That's right," Danny spoke up from behind Vicky. "We've got all kinds of home movies and photos, Michelle, so if you ever want to know what your Mommy was like, I'll be happy to show you." Danny kissed Michelle on the cheek and then kissed Vicky. "Well, Michelle, it looks like your family tree project is coming along nicely! How was school, Sweetheart?"

"It was great, Daddy! Vicky helped us put up the school art gallery, but then she had to leave because Stephanie was sick."

"What?! Stephanie's sick? What happened? Is she okay?" Danny stood up frantically.

"Danny, she's fine! She's upstairs resting. I picked her up from school and took her to the drugstore for medicine. She's feeling much better now."

"Oh. Well, that's good. Vicky, can I talk to you for a minute?" Danny asked.

"Sure. Michelle, you keep working. I'll be right back." Vicky then followed Danny into the living room.

"Danny, what's the matter?" Vicky asked.

"I don't know, Vicky. As much as I appreciate you being around all the time to help with the girls, I just feel like it might be a bit much."

"So you're saying I shouldn't be there for the girls when they need help?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying! I just don't want you to feel like you have to take on the role of both parents just because you're not working right now."

"Ahh," said Vicky, "I see what this is about."

"What are you talking about?" Danny asked.

"I think that you're feeling threatened because the girls have been coming to me with their problems and not you! You're so used to handling things on your own, and now that someone else is here to help, you're afraid that the girls don't need you anymore. Does that sound about right?" Vicky accused.

"Well, I wouldn't say I feel threatened, per se," said Danny, "But, I have to admit I am a little jealous. I'm sorry, Vicky. I know I'm overreacting. I guess, since the girls have started coming to you for help instead of me, I've felt a little left out."

"Oh, Danny," Vicky assured him, "The girls will always need their dad. It's just that sometimes they need somebody else more. Stephanie is at an age where she's going through a lot of changes, and it's normal for any girl her age to not be comfortable discussing that stuff with her father. And I'm sure DJ would be happy for both of us to help her with the interview! I promise I'm not trying to replace you, Danny. I'm just trying to help because I love the girls and I love you!"

"Well, you are doing an excellent job," Danny admitted. "And I'm just as glad that you were there to help Stephanie today as I was that Becky was around when we were going through that with DJ. Can you imagine Joey and Jesse trying to explain female anatomy?!" They laughed.

"Daddy! Vicky! My tree is done. Come see!" Michelle called from the kitchen. Danny and Vicky got up from the couch and went back to the kitchen to see Michelle's finished work. The tree was rather large and all-inclusive, with branches for Comet, Aunt Wendy and her pet monkey, Ginger, and, of course, Joey.

"Since Joey's not actually related, he gets his own branch on the side," Michelle explained. Danny and Vicky nodded.

"Well, Michelle, I'm honored that you chose to include me on your tree," Vicky said, noticing the photo from their wedding day right next to the photo of Pam with baby Michelle.

"Oh wait! That reminds me, I forgot somebody!" Michelle exclaimed, getting up from the table and running over to the kitchen counter. She picked up Vicky's purse and took out the sonogram photo. She then went back over and taped it right underneath the wedding photo. "Now I have the whole family!" Michelle grinned proudly. Danny put his arm around Vicky's shoulder, and they smiled at each other.


A/N: This was a bit of a filler chapter, but I wanted to establish Vicky's new role within the family. Do you think Vicky should go back to work or should she stay home and take care of the girls? Let me know what you think!