Vicky lay on the sofa surrounded by her three stepdaughters, each of them eager to feel a kick from their baby brother.
"Why isn't he moving?" Michelle whined impatiently.
"Sometimes you just have to wait a while, Honey," Vicky explained. "I'm sure he'll start kicking soon!"
As the girls continued to wait, Kimmy Gibbler let herself in the front door.
"Hola, Tanneritos!" She called out cheerfully. "Whatcha doing, Deej?"
"We're trying to feel the baby kick!"
Kimmy walked around to the back of the sofa. "Can I feel?" She asked. Vicky nodded so Kimmy placed a hand on her stomach.
As soon as she did, the baby gave a forceful kick strong enough to make Vicky wince.
"Ow!" Kimmy complained. "What did I ever do to you, Squirt?" She shrugged and shook off her sore hand, then wandered into the kitchen to find something to eat.
Stephanie patted Vicky's stomach proudly. "Good boy!" She praised, making Michelle and Vicky laugh. DJ rolled her eyes, but a slight smile crept across her face.
Joey sat in the kitchen waiting eagerly by the phone as he listened intently to the radio.
"It's that time again, folks!" The announcer bellowed, "One lucky caller is about to win an all-expenses-paid vacation for their entire household if they can answer one simple trivia question. The question of the week is: Which of the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles wears an orange bandana? The grand prize this week goes to caller number eleven! Good luck!"
Joey preemptively pumped his fist in the air and waited a few seconds before dialing the radio station's number.
"Congratulations! You're the eleventh caller!" came the voice on the other line. "Now, which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle wears an orange bandana?"
"Well, of course, that would be Michelangelo!" Joey declared confidently, bobbing his head back and forth.
"That is correct!" The announcer replied. "Now, what is your name, sonny?"
"Joey Gladstone!"
"Well, Mr. Joey Gladstone, you've just won a free cruise for you and your whole family to Baja, Mexico!"
"Yes!" Joey stood up on his chair and cheered, throwing the phone down on the desk. "Hey, everybody! Get in here!"
The Tanners filed in from all corners of the house.
"What's going on, Joey?" Stephanie asked.
"You'll never guess what I just won on the radio!" Joey exclaimed.
"The Homer Simpson clock radio?" Becky guessed.
"Even better!" said Joey.
"Ooh! Was it the Scooby-Doo slippers?!" Michelle asked excitedly.
"Oh, it's much better than that, Michelle! I just won an all-expenses-paid cruise to Baja, Mexico!" Joey's revelation was met with a lukewarm response until he added, "And you all get to come with me!" With that, the Tanner family erupted in cheers.
"Joey, that's great!" Vicky congratulated him. "You know, school's out for the summer after next week anyway, and I'm sure the station can play reruns of our shows for the holiday weekend. The timing is perfect!"
"Vicky, are you sure it's safe for you to go on a cruise right now?" Danny asked his wife skeptically.
"Well, sure, Honey, as long as I'm still allowed to fly, taking a cruise shouldn't be any different. But if it makes you feel any better, I'll go call Dr. Kent's office just to make sure." She kissed Danny and left the kitchen.
"Deej, I can't believe I'm about to say this," said Danny, " But if the Gibblers' offer to pay Kimmy's way is still good," he sighed begrudgingly, "I guess she can come with us."
DJ cheered. "Oh, thanks, Dad! You're the best!" She kissed Danny on the cheek and hurried upstairs to call Kimmy.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Joey asked. "Let's go start packing!"
The remaining Tanners left the kitchen in such a hurry that none of them noticed that the phone was still sitting off the hook on the desk.
"Uhm… hello? Mr. Gladstone, are you still there?"
"Gia, this is so cool!" Stephanie exclaimed, "I can't believe we ended up on the same cruise ship on the exact same weekend!"
"Yeah, my mom's new boyfriend wanted to do something special for their one-month anniversary," Gia explained, "and my mom didn't trust me enough to let me stay home alone for the weekend, especially after the Ace of Base incident, so here I am!"
"We are gonna have the best time!" Stephanie gushed, "Lounging on the beach, getting a head start on our summer tans."
Gia nodded. "Admiring hot beach bods," she added.
"Well, you can admire all the bods you want," Stephanie said, "but I'm already spoken for." She pointed to her charm bracelet. "Look at this bracelet Rusty got me. Isn't it so cute?"
Gia rolled her eyes. "You're such a sap, Tanner! And besides, even if you are dating Rusty, there's no harm in looking at other guys."
Gia made her point by ogling at a muscular man walking by in a tank top and board shorts.
Stephanie followed Gia's gaze as she fiddled with her bracelet.
"He is cute," Stephanie finally admitted, "but I really like Rusty."
Gia shrugged. "Suit yourself."
The girls met back up with the rest of the Tanner clan just as Danny was distributing room assignments.
"Okay, we have me, Vicky, and Michelle in the first room, DJ, Stephanie, and Kimmy in the second room, and Jesse, Becky, Joey, and the twins in the suite. We have one hour to unpack and explore the ship before everyone meets at the restaurant for dinner at 5 pm sharp! Any questions?"
"Dad, can I please stay in Gia's room?" Stephanie begged. "They have an extra bed."
"Oh, Steph, I don't know if that's such a good idea. And technically, you're still grounded after what happened at the concert." Danny looked over at his wife. "Vicky, what do you think?"
"Well, since we are on vacation and Gia's mom will be there to keep an eye on you," said Vicky, "I don't see why not."
Stephanie cheered and hugged her stepmother. "Thanks, Vicky! I promise, we won't get into any trouble!" Stephanie took her suitcase and left with Gia.
"Vicky, are you sure that's a good idea?" Danny asked nervously.
"Sweetheart, we're stuck on a cruise ship. How much trouble could they possibly get into? Now, why don't you just relax and enjoy this vacation? Because when you're stressed out, I get stressed out, and that's not good for the baby!"
"You're right, Vicky. I'm sorry. You know what? I'm throwing away this itinerary!" Danny declared, tossing the clipboard behind him.
Vicky smiled. "Sounds good to me! And, as far as the relaxing part goes - " She reached up and stroked Danny's cheek. "I think I can help you with that." She leaned in for a kiss, wrapping both arms around his neck.
"Dan-iel!" Jesse sang. "There are children present!"
Danny narrowed his eyes on his brother-in-law. "Like that's ever stopped you!" He exclaimed. "Alright, gang! Let's get upstairs and get unpacking!"
That night after dinner, the family (minus Becky who had put the twins to bed) gathered in the theater of the ship for the first evening's entertainment: a stand-up comedian.
"Steve Odekerk," Jesse read from the program, "Hey, Joey, isn't that the guy who beat you on Star Search?"
"It is! Well, well, well! Doing stand-up on a cruise ship. Who's the real star now, eh?" Joey chuckled.
"Oh, and hosting a local radio show just screams successful comedian?" Jesse asked.
"Hey, I had a TV show too!" Joey defended himself.
Jesse and Joey's bickering was interrupted by a man in a headset carrying a clipboard.
"I'm sorry, did you just say you're a comedian?"
"Why, yes, I am!" Joey boasted.
"Listen, I know this is really last minute, but Steve came down with something and our usual replacement is a no-show. Is there any way you could help us out?" He asked desperately.
"Are you kidding?! I'd love to!" Joey jumped up from his chair.
"Great! Come with me." Joey followed the director down to the stage.
Once Joey left, Danny looked over at Vicky and noticed she was rubbing her temple.
"You okay, Honey?"
"Yeah, I'm fine!" She assured him. "It's just a little headache."
"Are you sure you don't want to go upstairs and lie down? It's been a pretty long day, and you were up on your feet for a long time," Danny pointed out.
"Danny, I'm fine!" Vicky snapped, then quickly softened. "I'm sorry, Sweetheart. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that there's no need to be such an alarmist. If I need to go upstairs early and lie down, I will. But for now, let's just enjoy the show, alright?" She patted Danny's thigh and gave him a reassuring smile. Danny nodded and wrapped one arm around her shoulder, leaning in to kiss her forehead.
Following a brief introduction from the director explaining the last-minute change of performer, Joey took the stage. Having had virtually no time to prepare a routine, he relied on his classic repertoire of impersonations, along with a few new jokes thrown in that he'd be working on for his current comedy club circuit. After having finished his performance to thunderous applause, Joey left the stage, but before he could make it back to meet up with his family, an audience member stopped him.
"Mr. Gladstone, nice to meet you! My name is Randy Curtis and I'm a talent agent with the Rossman Group in Los Angeles. Tell me, Joey, do you happen to have any acting experience?"
"Well, I don't like to brag about it," said Joey, "but I did do a pilot with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello!"
"Oh, right! That surfer sitcom that they retooled into a cartoon!" Joey nodded. "Oh, it's a shame they pulled the plug after six episodes. You were great in it. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I loved your set and I think you could have a real future as a comedic actor. So, here, take my business card and think about it, and if you're interested in setting up a meeting, feel free to give me a call!" Randy exclaimed.
"Oh, wow! Thank you so much. I absolutely will!" Joey shook Randy's hand and took the business card. They said their goodbyes and Joey left to rejoin his group.
"Joey, my man! You did great up there!" Jesse gave his pal a congratulatory slap on the back.
"Yeah, Joey! Your Popeye's never been better!" Michelle proudly proclaimed.
"Thanks guys! You know, I couldn't have done it without you all here cheering me on. Oh, and you'll never guess who came and talked to me after the show! His name is Randy Curtis. He's a talent agent and he said that I have a real future as a comedic actor!"
"Joey, that's great!" Danny exclaimed. "But are you sure it's not some kind of scam?" He took the business card from Joey to examine it more carefully.
"The Rossman Group," Vicky read from over Danny's shoulder. "I know these guys! My agent used to work with them. You should definitely give them a call, Joey. This would be great for you!"
"You really think so?"
Vicky nodded.
"Well, great! I'll call him as soon as we get home!"
The next morning, the cruise ship had docked in Baja, and the Tanner family went their separate ways for a day of sightseeing.
"Jess, isn't it beautiful?" Becky gushed as they roamed the village with their twin boys in tow. The streets were lined with merchants selling everything from brightly colored ceramic pottery to hand-woven clothing. They soon came across a traditional mariachi band, and Becky giggled as her sons (and husband) wasted no time dancing to the beat.
"That's right, boys! Shake it!" Jesse encouraged them.
A young dancer with the band noticed the boys and knelt down to hand each of them a maraca from a basket next to the guitar case. Becky smiled sweetly as the young woman showed her sons how to shake their maracas to the beat of the music, all while doing her best to ignore her husband's gyrating.
"Come on, Beck! Dance with me!" Jesse walked toward his wife, continuing to swing his hips with a Latin flair. Becky finally gave in and joined him, moving her hips in tandem with his.
"Have mercy, mi amor!" Jesse whispered breathily. He gave his wife a cheeky grin and dipped her, causing her to yelp in surprise.
"Jess!" Becky scolded her husband, but she was still laughing.
When the song finished, the Katsopolis clan thanked the band and moved on to browse the various booths that lined the street.
Not too far ahead, DJ, Kimmy, Stephanie, and Gia were admiring some handmade dresses at one of the booths.
"Do we really have to hang out with your sister and her ditzy friend?" Gia muttered.
"Hey, it's the only way I could convince my dad to let us out of his sight off the boat. I'm still on a really short leash after that concert, so if I want to have any fun on this trip, it has to be on my dad's terms. Besides, DJ's too busy making sure Kimmy doesn't embarrass us all to pay any attention to me!"
To prove her point, Stephanie pointed over at Kimmy, who was trying to barter with the shopkeeper in very broken Spanish. After every sentence, DJ had to step in to translate for her friend.
"You would think that after spending an entire summer in Spain, Kimmy would at least be able to hold a basic conversation in Spanish," Stephanie thought out loud. " Oh, who am I kidding? This is Kimmy we're talking about!" She and Gia chuckled.
DJ and Kimmy completed their purchases and rejoined the younger girls.
"Are you guys ready for lunch?" DJ asked.
"Yeah, sure. But shouldn't we wait for everyone else?"
"Dad said Vicky wasn't feeling well so they went back to the ship, and Joey's taking Michelle to the beach," DJ explained. "So it's just us girls for lunch!" DJ put one arm each around Stephanie and Gia. "Won't that be fun?" she asked with mock excitement. Stephanie and Gia groaned.
Later that afternoon as Jesse and Becky headed back to the ship to put the twins down for a nap, they walked by a crowded playground. Noticing that there were a few kids around the twins' age, Jesse convinced his wife to stop and let the boys play.
"Come on, Beck, we're on vacation. Missing one nap isn't gonna hurt! Besides, maybe they'll even pick up some Spanish from the other kids."
Becky agreed and they took Nicky and Alex over to the sandbox.
"See, Becky? Look how much fun they're having!" Jesse exclaimed as he watched Nicky and Alex.
Becky had to admit that her sons seemed more at ease than they usually did playing around other kids. One little girl in particular, who looked to be about four years old, quickly recruited them to help her build a sandcastle. Knowing that they were just toddlers and not wanting to ruin the little girl's creation, Jesse stepped in to help.
"¡Me llamo Elisa!" the little girl told Jesse excitedly.
Noticing that Jesse appeared flustered and confused, a woman perched on the side of the sandbox behind the little girl said, "She said her name is Elisa."
"Oh!" Jesse replied. "Uh, me llamo, uh, Jesse," he tried, and when the girl smiled and nodded at him, he figured it was close enough. "Uh, Alex, and Nicky," he continued, pointing to his sons one by one. "Oh, and Becky!"
The little girl giggled and nodded again then happily went back to building her castle. Jesse watched, clearly growing smitten with the little girl, who reminded him a lot of Michelle at that age. After a minute, Elisa looked back at Jesse. "Papa?"
"Oh, yeah, I'm their Papa!" Jesse responded.
The woman behind Elisa quickly shook her head and said something to Elisa in Spanish. "I'm so sorry!" she said to Jesse. "She thought that you were her Papa. You must remind her of him."
"Are you Elisa's mother?" Becky asked.
"Oh, no, I'm just volunteering at the homeless children's shelter," the woman explained.
"Homeless shelter? Does that mean Elisa is -?"
"An orphan." The woman nodded. "She came to live at the shelter about a year ago. Her little brother came with her, but he got adopted pretty quickly."
"They separated them?!" Jesse asked, stunned.
The woman nodded sadly. "Most people only want to adopt babies."
"That's crazy!" Jesse exclaimed. "How could anyone look at this sweet little face and take her baby brother away and then leave her here alone?!"
"Jesse, Honey, calm down! You don't want to scare the poor girl!" Becky placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.
Jesse took a deep breath. "Sorry. It just doesn't make any sense how somebody could do that to a kid who's already been through so much, you know?"
"I know, Jess."
"I just wish we could take her home," he said sadly.
Becky nodded and looked back over at the three kids who were playing so well together. She let out a sad sigh as she tried to imagine all that this little girl must have gone through in such a short time.
"You know," the volunteer commented, "We have contact information inside for the international adoption agencies we work with." She pointed to the building next to the playground. "I could show you if you're interested."
Jesse and Becky shared a knowing look. Jesse grinned. "You go ahead. I'll stay here with the kids."
Becky grinned back at her husband before turning to follow the volunteer.
Danny rolled over and rubbed his eyes, blinking at the afternoon sun peeking through the curtains. After having spent their morning on the beach, Vicky had gotten tired, so Danny suggested they have lunch on the ship then come back to their room to lie down. His wife had reluctantly obliged, insisting once again that she felt fine, but a quick glance at his watch told him that they had both fallen asleep for more than two hours. He looked over and realized that the other side of the bed was empty.
Danny breathed a small sigh of relief when he heard the bathroom door latch shut. He turned on the TV and surfed through the channels while he waited for Vicky.
"Danny!" came a shrill cry from the bathroom
Danny bolted to the bathroom and opened the door to find Vicky clutching the counter with one hand and her stomach with the other.
"Danny, I think something's wrong!"
To Be Continued…
