Well, I'm a day late & a dollar short, but I have a good excuse. It was thundering all day & night yesterday & I dared not work on it; there was a thunderstorm last year & it took months for the computer to get out of the shop. But y'all aren't here to listen to my troubles. It turned out to be for the better anyway, as the draft I would've uploaded yesterday kinda bit, as in a bit slapdash, a bit slipshod, a bit forced. And I didn't want to do that, not to my favorite couple (Phil & Susie, for those not keeping up). I'm still not sure I did them justice. Here it is anyway.
Thanks for the reviews to Ally, Junior, Nightw2, Lil Kimi, Starry Nights, & Kimmy Larisa. And I meant what I said before. I wouldn't have gotten into writing this had I not been inspired by the fics of SN & LK, & Lk in turn is on record as having been inspired by KL's Deja Vu fic. So the praise for the three of you is well earned. And I will think about y'all's suggestions for eye color. Please, y'all, continue to r&r.
Rugrats is created, copyrighted, & / or owned by Klasky-Csupo & / or Nickelodeon, which in turn is owned by Viacom. Grease the musical was written by Casey & Jacobs & the motion picture is probably copyrighted by Paramount Pictures, which is also owned by Viacom. Nice how I keep it all in the family, eh? But that show's owned by Sony / Columbia & has nothing to do with this. I'll shut up now & let you read.
It couldn't even be called an accident. He'd stepped where he shouldn't have stepped & next thing you know, they're both back at the bottom of the 'hill' as Kimi would call it. He was now on a first name basis with the geological substance known as a scree, as if he wasn't before. Lil hadn't even been hurt at all, really; & he'd just gotten a few cuts & bruises. It was nothing! *OW!* Except for that. But it would go away with a little immobilization of the elbow, he'd been assured. Which explained why his left elbow was currently incapacitated. A minor annoyance; it would pass.
*SLAM!!*
That would probably be Chuckie; of course he would be informed of the accident & Phil knew how the redhead felt about Lil. Hmm, and Susie's in there; this could be interesting. Just jump out of his chair & on over to the door, *unh!*, he was still feeling that little scrape, in more ways than one. Ear to the door, & let's see.
Piece of her mind, huh? Like that's ever done any good. Hmm, although, it might not hurt to start listening to her, with what he's planning. Maybe he shouldn't wait until the day before they leave, either.
Whazzat? Death wish? Him? He just likes to have high risk fun; is that such a bad thing? Besides, Tommy & Kimi had always taken the lead, maybe not on the show but that's only because the show doesn't have their names; it had the Deville name. And it's not like they took unnecessary chances; was it their fault the audience liked for the envelope to be pushed?
Huh? Uh-oh. Couldn't exactly hear what Chuckie was saying now, but he could hear Susie's hand on the doorknob; gotta get back to the chair. Step, step, *uhnh!*, well, that's a little less painful. Now, relax, and just in time too because here she comes. The door opens.
"Hi, doc."
Silence.
*uh-oh* "Um, doc?"
.....................................
"Susie?"
ditto
"Suze?"
more of same
"Dr. Carmichael?"
big lotta nothing
*sigh* "Okkay, so you're upset with us, with me. And, the reason is obvious."
All this time she's been aproaching him, tending to the medicines & bandages & whatnot, basically doing her job. Now, the mummy speaks. "Stick out your arm."
He does so. "It's these crazy chances we take. And you're right; it's silly & stupid & we so shouldn't do it. But by now what choice do we have?"
"This will hurt."
*OW!* *She wasn't kidding.*
"We're trapped. It was fun doing those crazy stunts at first, & it still is. But I have noticed they're getting more out there. Now, while that may be just a matter of 'once you master one level move on to the next level', it could also be a matter of pushing the envelope. And we have to keep pushing it, or the audience will go down, shares will drop, advertisers will pull out, & eventually the plug would be pulled on the whole thing. Lil & I would be out of a job, & so would you."
"Mm-hmm." She was busy.
"We have been trying to tone it down, Lil & I. And we've been trying to get Tommy & Kimi to pull back a bit too. Gotta pace ourselves."
Still busy. "Uh-huh, right."
"And we're in the best shape possible thanks to Kimi, so there's less damage; who knows how much worse I could be hurt right now if she wasn't around. Lil might actually have some damage. And you, we couldn't be in better hands."
"I agree."
"Huh?"
"You guys couldn't be in better hands than mine."
Face fault.
"And I hear what you're saying; it's the same thing I've been saying a hundred times, the part about taking crazy chances. I also understand why you guys can't pull back too much, & I agree with your reasons. That said, I still reserve the right to not like it, not one little bit."
Phil nodded. "Fair enough."
"Besides, as much as I hate to admit it, you're right. At least I could go into private practice by now..."
"Oh?"
"Oh, didn't I tell you? Due to all the work you guys have been putting me through my residency is already up. I'm now a full-fledged doctor."
"That's great! You should've told us before; we would've had a party to celebrate."
"I just found out myself."
"So you could hang out your shingle now, huh?"
"Yeah, & it's all because of you guys. I declare, you're worse than that guy who had that tool show in Detroit."
"Well of course; there was only one of him, & everyone else kept trying to keep him out of trouble. There's four of us; you & Chuckie don't have a chance."
"Exactly."
"Does this mean you'll be wanting a raise?"
"Well it's not like you can't afford it now."
"Yeah yeah, we'll get with Lil & Chuckie & hammer out the details."
"They're kind of busy right now."
"So I guessed."
A lengthy pause ensued, finally broken by Phil.
"Before all of these tangents, what were we talking about?"
"I was wondering what you & Lil would do if this show folded."
"Right. Well, I'd hope we could get acting jobs somewhere."
"Right."
"And there's always 'Il'n'."
"Over Lil's dead body."
"Well, she could be replaced if it came down to it."
Dead silence again.
"Okkay, I'm kidding. Uh, maybe I could produce."
"Who?"
"You?"
More dead silence.
"Aw, c'mon."
"No. Word gets around about a musical career & I'd never be taken seriously in my profession again. I'd be the Singing Surgeon, not the way to get respect in my field."
"Well, it's been done before. There was that cardiologist in Louisiana who put out a couple of country albums some years ago, oh, what was his name, Clayton, Cleavon...?"
"Fine for him, but forget it."
"Okkay, but it's a shame. You have the voice of an angel."
"How would you know?"
"Funny."
"Seriously, has anyone really heard an angel sing?"
"What?"
"Check that book sometime," she said, gesturing to a Bible she kept on her desk, "and try to find even one instance of an angel singing."
"But, but, what about the Christmas story, the Heavenly choir.."
"Luke 2:13. 'And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God', et cetera. Saying, not singing. There's no more proof in there that angels sing than there is that there were three wise men."
"You're ruining a venerable traditional image, I hope you know."
"Correcting misconceptions is more like it."
"I still say you could have quite the singing career if you wanted to."
"Flattery'll get you nowhere, Deville. I had to make a choice between singing & medicine, & I have no regrets."
"Yeah, I know how that is. I had to make a similar choice between baseball & drama."
"Oh, that's right. You were on the ball team."
"Yes I was. And I'm here to tell ya, those tales you might've heard about Dil's lack of control, while the stuff of urban legends, are absolutely true." He ruefully rubbed his head with the memory.
"Well, you made the right choice too."
"You saw me play ball?"
"Didn't have to; I just had to listen to what the group was saying. But I did see the plays you were in."
"Which was your favorite?"
"Grease."
"Oh, yeah. I always liked that one too. Although it would've been lots more fun if you'd been the one getting a hickey from Kenickie."
"Yeah, right. Do I look like a Pink Lady to you? That's Lil's color."
"Ack! Please, I couldn't be Kenickie with her as Rizzo; that'd be sick!"
"It's called acting."
"And you say I have a warped sense of humor. But really, you'd have made the perfect Rizzo."
"Hmm, a bad girl who has a thing going with a maniac, goes through a pregnancy scare, clashes with some blonde, & winds up being the first of the group to be engaged. Sounds like me."
"It'd be a stretch, but I think you could do it. It's called acting."
"Touche. But I'm not an actor."
"Touche right back at ya."
"There, all done. Now get outta here; no sense you hangin' 'round here takin' up space."
"Your bedside manner, as always, is exemplary." Phil said as he leapt to his feet. Susie then returned to her desk; Phil joined her. As she seated herself in front, he seated himself, on top of the desk. He lifted the Bible.
"It looks old."
"It is; it belonged to Aunt T."
"She was a remarkable woman."
*sigh* "Yes, she was." Susie then took the Bible from Phil's hands. Her mood grew wistful, introspective. When she spoke again, Phil thought he heard a tear in her voice. "Sometimes, when you guys are off doing those crazy stunts, I find it brings comfort to me." Susie then opened a drawer of her desk & placed the Bible inside. Phil just watched, then he noticed something else in the drawer. He reached over & grabbed it.
"Hey!"
"You still have this?" It was an old flashlight, the one he'd given her when she'd been in the hospital for a tonsillectomy. "You know it doesn't work anymore."
"It does now."
Phil tried it; sure enough. "Well, whadda ya know."
"Yeah, Mom found what was wrong with it & fixed it. Took her all of, maybe, twenty minutes."
"Another remarkable woman." he said as he leaned over to caress her cheek. "Must run in the family." With his other hand he was still using the flashlight, turning it on & off. A grin came to his face.
Susie noticed. "Fair warning; one word in a Darth Vader voice or one move in a light saber routine, & I throw you out of here bodily."
"Spoilsport." He continued to work the light. "This was our favoritest flashlight, y'know."
"And you wanted me to have it."
"Well, Tommy & Chuckie had gifts for you--"
"And you were feeling left out, so you gave me something spur of the moment, something that was really yours."
"Well, mine & Lil's"
"And you just about had to fight her for it. I was flattered, really."
"Well, you deserved it, and then some."
"It's appropriate for you, really."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, whatever's going on you can always be counted on to lighten the mood. You never fail to make me laugh."
"Is that all? What about what you've done over the years, for all of us? I've lost count of how many times you've saved us from Angelica; we wouldn't have survived childhood if it hadn't been for you."
"I'm sure Kimi would've held her own, and then some."
"Yeah, I guess. But it was always you coming to our rescue. Of course when the 'rents started getting you to keep an eye on us we found out there was a flip side to that."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, we can never put anything over on you."
"Oh, that."
"It was uncanny; whenever we tried sneaking around you we found you'd already sneaked around to in front of us. Frustrating, really."
"Hey, I just had to pay closer attention to you guys than our parents usually did. Nothing to it."
"Well, you'd make the perfect mom because you were always there to head us off."
"Thanks, I think."
"I still don't know how you did it sometimes."
"For instance?"
Susie then had the rare pleasure of seeing Phillip Deville deep in thought. Finally...
"Like that time Tommy was grounded from the Emica concert."
"I remember that one; Angelica actually gave something away with no catch."
"We thought we were going to sneak Tommy out of the house. You were in the kitchen when we made the break, but when we opened the front door there you were saying..."
"You think I don't know when you're up to something?" they finished in chorus before breaking it up into giggles.
"So what gave it away?"
"Well, I was on guard when I heard the bikes. I heard Tommy saying something, but I couldn't make out a word of it. Then Chuckie was saying something about 'can't' & helping. And then I heard, 'We're busting you out, Pickles!'."
Phil blushed with realization. "Oops."
"Oops indeed. Don't worry; I won't tell the others it was you who ratted them out."
"Well, it all worked out for the good. You came with us & you even got a front row seat to watch Angelica ruin the concert."
"Well of course I came with you guys. I'd been entrusted with Tommy & I had to keep an eye on you kids."
"Y'know, I can't believe I'm in love with the same person who used to babysit me."
"You? I'm in love with one of the kids I used to babysit." She said as she grabbed the flashlight, and the hands that were holding it. Her hand then returned his favor by caressing his cheek. "Although you guys aren't kids anymore. You are definitely a man."
Phil was getting nervous now; they'd been beating around the bush for some time & he still hadn't done what he'd planned. But then, he wasn't used to being romantic. "Uh, listen doc...?"
"Yes?"
"Um, there's something I need to say..."
"Well?"
Prolonged hesitation, which for him grew more excruciating with each additional second. "Aaahhh, *sh* you know I'm not the one for all that romance stuff. Lil likes it, which is fine with me, but I don't go in for it. Lucky for her she has Chuckie."
"You're stalling, Deville."
"Oh, you just now noticed?"
"I was kind of tipped off awhile back."
"Well, like I was saying you know I don't go in for romance, but I have my moments. And when I surprise myself & get romantic you know it comes straight from here." He illustrated this with a Roman salute --- fist over heart. "So, well..."
"Yes?"
"Doc Suze?"
"Ooh, two nicknames at once."
"Yeah, this is serious."
"HAH!"
"Please."
"Go ahead."
"Um, a- are you sure I'm alright?"
She was floored. "That's what you needed to ask, with the romance & all?"
"Well, what could be more important to a person than whether that person is alright?"
She was getting frustrated. "Phil Deville, you may never be alright."
"Just answer me?"
She exhaled through clenched teeth. "Fine. Physically, you'll be alright."
"What about my knees?"
"WHAT?!?"
"My knees."
"Your knees are just fine."
"Good. I'm going to need them for what I'm about to do."
"And what's that? Streaking across Antarctica?"
"Nah. Tommy might do that, but I wouldn't."
"Fishing for piranha with your bare hands?"
"Maybe a pair of thick gloves."
"Spelunking in Mt. St. Helens? Boogy-boarding down the slope of Kilauea?"
"Hold on, let me get all this down. This is some good stuff--"
"PHIL!!"
"I'm kidding. This is bigger than all of that put together." He fell into thought again. "Except maybe that Kilauea one; that sounds cool."
Disbelieving, exasperated, frustrated, all applied to Susie's mood. But Phil paid no mind as from his perch on top of her desk he stood, almost banging his head on the ceiling.
"You don't even know if this desk can hold your weight."
"Just another of those crazy Deville risks."
She shook her head in disbelief, then, as he went down to one knee, she did something else in disbelief. "Whoa!"
After a minute's struggle such as is to be expected when you're trying to fish something out of a pocket located in a part of your clothing that's currently bent at an inconvenient angle, he finally managed to force the box out of his pocket.
"Whoa!" again.
It was nutcracking time, & Phil did so. "Susannah Carmichael, will you marry me?" But he couldn't take the utter serious, so he ad-libbed from the traditional suitor's script. "I'll make you an honest woman." he added in a New York tough guy accent.
Susie's euphoria ebbed & her brow furrowed at those last words, then she recognized the line from Grease. It was the scene where Rizzo had just told Kenickie she wasn't pregnant & he summarily proposed to her. *So, he's still trying to get me to play Rizzo to his Kenickie. Well, as long as no one else is watching...* "If dat's a line I ain't bitin'."
"It's a bona fide offer." With that he extended the ring further, almost to her hand.
She accepted it as she finished the scene. "Well, it ain't moonlight & roses, but..."
The scene & the proposal / acceptance consummated, Phil leaned down to meet Susie's lips with his own. His arms reached out to encircle her, she still in her swivel chair (the kind with wheels --- they're called casters).
Suddenly, "Cleve!"
Susie was used to Phil's weirdness, but he could still surprise her. "What?"
"That was his name, Cleve Francis."
?????????????
"That country-singing cardiologist I was telling you about."
"Thank you very much for that, Phillip!"
"Hey, only Lil can call me that."
"You deserve it. And anyway, you called me Susannah first. Now you'd better either break this up or make some other arrangements beacuse the way you're going right now you're about to crush me."
He was up to the challenge; he hit the floor for a split second before sliding into her chair, sliding her over onto his lap. She climbed on top of him & they initiated an impromptu makeout session, leaning the chair back to the wall.
And baby makes three, as they used to say. Or former babies make three, couples, that is. So now that they're all engaged, the next step is to tell each other. And then, everything else. Cy'all next week, weather permitting. Continue to review, please.
Thanks for the reviews to Ally, Junior, Nightw2, Lil Kimi, Starry Nights, & Kimmy Larisa. And I meant what I said before. I wouldn't have gotten into writing this had I not been inspired by the fics of SN & LK, & Lk in turn is on record as having been inspired by KL's Deja Vu fic. So the praise for the three of you is well earned. And I will think about y'all's suggestions for eye color. Please, y'all, continue to r&r.
Rugrats is created, copyrighted, & / or owned by Klasky-Csupo & / or Nickelodeon, which in turn is owned by Viacom. Grease the musical was written by Casey & Jacobs & the motion picture is probably copyrighted by Paramount Pictures, which is also owned by Viacom. Nice how I keep it all in the family, eh? But that show's owned by Sony / Columbia & has nothing to do with this. I'll shut up now & let you read.
It couldn't even be called an accident. He'd stepped where he shouldn't have stepped & next thing you know, they're both back at the bottom of the 'hill' as Kimi would call it. He was now on a first name basis with the geological substance known as a scree, as if he wasn't before. Lil hadn't even been hurt at all, really; & he'd just gotten a few cuts & bruises. It was nothing! *OW!* Except for that. But it would go away with a little immobilization of the elbow, he'd been assured. Which explained why his left elbow was currently incapacitated. A minor annoyance; it would pass.
*SLAM!!*
That would probably be Chuckie; of course he would be informed of the accident & Phil knew how the redhead felt about Lil. Hmm, and Susie's in there; this could be interesting. Just jump out of his chair & on over to the door, *unh!*, he was still feeling that little scrape, in more ways than one. Ear to the door, & let's see.
Piece of her mind, huh? Like that's ever done any good. Hmm, although, it might not hurt to start listening to her, with what he's planning. Maybe he shouldn't wait until the day before they leave, either.
Whazzat? Death wish? Him? He just likes to have high risk fun; is that such a bad thing? Besides, Tommy & Kimi had always taken the lead, maybe not on the show but that's only because the show doesn't have their names; it had the Deville name. And it's not like they took unnecessary chances; was it their fault the audience liked for the envelope to be pushed?
Huh? Uh-oh. Couldn't exactly hear what Chuckie was saying now, but he could hear Susie's hand on the doorknob; gotta get back to the chair. Step, step, *uhnh!*, well, that's a little less painful. Now, relax, and just in time too because here she comes. The door opens.
"Hi, doc."
Silence.
*uh-oh* "Um, doc?"
.....................................
"Susie?"
ditto
"Suze?"
more of same
"Dr. Carmichael?"
big lotta nothing
*sigh* "Okkay, so you're upset with us, with me. And, the reason is obvious."
All this time she's been aproaching him, tending to the medicines & bandages & whatnot, basically doing her job. Now, the mummy speaks. "Stick out your arm."
He does so. "It's these crazy chances we take. And you're right; it's silly & stupid & we so shouldn't do it. But by now what choice do we have?"
"This will hurt."
*OW!* *She wasn't kidding.*
"We're trapped. It was fun doing those crazy stunts at first, & it still is. But I have noticed they're getting more out there. Now, while that may be just a matter of 'once you master one level move on to the next level', it could also be a matter of pushing the envelope. And we have to keep pushing it, or the audience will go down, shares will drop, advertisers will pull out, & eventually the plug would be pulled on the whole thing. Lil & I would be out of a job, & so would you."
"Mm-hmm." She was busy.
"We have been trying to tone it down, Lil & I. And we've been trying to get Tommy & Kimi to pull back a bit too. Gotta pace ourselves."
Still busy. "Uh-huh, right."
"And we're in the best shape possible thanks to Kimi, so there's less damage; who knows how much worse I could be hurt right now if she wasn't around. Lil might actually have some damage. And you, we couldn't be in better hands."
"I agree."
"Huh?"
"You guys couldn't be in better hands than mine."
Face fault.
"And I hear what you're saying; it's the same thing I've been saying a hundred times, the part about taking crazy chances. I also understand why you guys can't pull back too much, & I agree with your reasons. That said, I still reserve the right to not like it, not one little bit."
Phil nodded. "Fair enough."
"Besides, as much as I hate to admit it, you're right. At least I could go into private practice by now..."
"Oh?"
"Oh, didn't I tell you? Due to all the work you guys have been putting me through my residency is already up. I'm now a full-fledged doctor."
"That's great! You should've told us before; we would've had a party to celebrate."
"I just found out myself."
"So you could hang out your shingle now, huh?"
"Yeah, & it's all because of you guys. I declare, you're worse than that guy who had that tool show in Detroit."
"Well of course; there was only one of him, & everyone else kept trying to keep him out of trouble. There's four of us; you & Chuckie don't have a chance."
"Exactly."
"Does this mean you'll be wanting a raise?"
"Well it's not like you can't afford it now."
"Yeah yeah, we'll get with Lil & Chuckie & hammer out the details."
"They're kind of busy right now."
"So I guessed."
A lengthy pause ensued, finally broken by Phil.
"Before all of these tangents, what were we talking about?"
"I was wondering what you & Lil would do if this show folded."
"Right. Well, I'd hope we could get acting jobs somewhere."
"Right."
"And there's always 'Il'n'."
"Over Lil's dead body."
"Well, she could be replaced if it came down to it."
Dead silence again.
"Okkay, I'm kidding. Uh, maybe I could produce."
"Who?"
"You?"
More dead silence.
"Aw, c'mon."
"No. Word gets around about a musical career & I'd never be taken seriously in my profession again. I'd be the Singing Surgeon, not the way to get respect in my field."
"Well, it's been done before. There was that cardiologist in Louisiana who put out a couple of country albums some years ago, oh, what was his name, Clayton, Cleavon...?"
"Fine for him, but forget it."
"Okkay, but it's a shame. You have the voice of an angel."
"How would you know?"
"Funny."
"Seriously, has anyone really heard an angel sing?"
"What?"
"Check that book sometime," she said, gesturing to a Bible she kept on her desk, "and try to find even one instance of an angel singing."
"But, but, what about the Christmas story, the Heavenly choir.."
"Luke 2:13. 'And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God', et cetera. Saying, not singing. There's no more proof in there that angels sing than there is that there were three wise men."
"You're ruining a venerable traditional image, I hope you know."
"Correcting misconceptions is more like it."
"I still say you could have quite the singing career if you wanted to."
"Flattery'll get you nowhere, Deville. I had to make a choice between singing & medicine, & I have no regrets."
"Yeah, I know how that is. I had to make a similar choice between baseball & drama."
"Oh, that's right. You were on the ball team."
"Yes I was. And I'm here to tell ya, those tales you might've heard about Dil's lack of control, while the stuff of urban legends, are absolutely true." He ruefully rubbed his head with the memory.
"Well, you made the right choice too."
"You saw me play ball?"
"Didn't have to; I just had to listen to what the group was saying. But I did see the plays you were in."
"Which was your favorite?"
"Grease."
"Oh, yeah. I always liked that one too. Although it would've been lots more fun if you'd been the one getting a hickey from Kenickie."
"Yeah, right. Do I look like a Pink Lady to you? That's Lil's color."
"Ack! Please, I couldn't be Kenickie with her as Rizzo; that'd be sick!"
"It's called acting."
"And you say I have a warped sense of humor. But really, you'd have made the perfect Rizzo."
"Hmm, a bad girl who has a thing going with a maniac, goes through a pregnancy scare, clashes with some blonde, & winds up being the first of the group to be engaged. Sounds like me."
"It'd be a stretch, but I think you could do it. It's called acting."
"Touche. But I'm not an actor."
"Touche right back at ya."
"There, all done. Now get outta here; no sense you hangin' 'round here takin' up space."
"Your bedside manner, as always, is exemplary." Phil said as he leapt to his feet. Susie then returned to her desk; Phil joined her. As she seated herself in front, he seated himself, on top of the desk. He lifted the Bible.
"It looks old."
"It is; it belonged to Aunt T."
"She was a remarkable woman."
*sigh* "Yes, she was." Susie then took the Bible from Phil's hands. Her mood grew wistful, introspective. When she spoke again, Phil thought he heard a tear in her voice. "Sometimes, when you guys are off doing those crazy stunts, I find it brings comfort to me." Susie then opened a drawer of her desk & placed the Bible inside. Phil just watched, then he noticed something else in the drawer. He reached over & grabbed it.
"Hey!"
"You still have this?" It was an old flashlight, the one he'd given her when she'd been in the hospital for a tonsillectomy. "You know it doesn't work anymore."
"It does now."
Phil tried it; sure enough. "Well, whadda ya know."
"Yeah, Mom found what was wrong with it & fixed it. Took her all of, maybe, twenty minutes."
"Another remarkable woman." he said as he leaned over to caress her cheek. "Must run in the family." With his other hand he was still using the flashlight, turning it on & off. A grin came to his face.
Susie noticed. "Fair warning; one word in a Darth Vader voice or one move in a light saber routine, & I throw you out of here bodily."
"Spoilsport." He continued to work the light. "This was our favoritest flashlight, y'know."
"And you wanted me to have it."
"Well, Tommy & Chuckie had gifts for you--"
"And you were feeling left out, so you gave me something spur of the moment, something that was really yours."
"Well, mine & Lil's"
"And you just about had to fight her for it. I was flattered, really."
"Well, you deserved it, and then some."
"It's appropriate for you, really."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, whatever's going on you can always be counted on to lighten the mood. You never fail to make me laugh."
"Is that all? What about what you've done over the years, for all of us? I've lost count of how many times you've saved us from Angelica; we wouldn't have survived childhood if it hadn't been for you."
"I'm sure Kimi would've held her own, and then some."
"Yeah, I guess. But it was always you coming to our rescue. Of course when the 'rents started getting you to keep an eye on us we found out there was a flip side to that."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, we can never put anything over on you."
"Oh, that."
"It was uncanny; whenever we tried sneaking around you we found you'd already sneaked around to in front of us. Frustrating, really."
"Hey, I just had to pay closer attention to you guys than our parents usually did. Nothing to it."
"Well, you'd make the perfect mom because you were always there to head us off."
"Thanks, I think."
"I still don't know how you did it sometimes."
"For instance?"
Susie then had the rare pleasure of seeing Phillip Deville deep in thought. Finally...
"Like that time Tommy was grounded from the Emica concert."
"I remember that one; Angelica actually gave something away with no catch."
"We thought we were going to sneak Tommy out of the house. You were in the kitchen when we made the break, but when we opened the front door there you were saying..."
"You think I don't know when you're up to something?" they finished in chorus before breaking it up into giggles.
"So what gave it away?"
"Well, I was on guard when I heard the bikes. I heard Tommy saying something, but I couldn't make out a word of it. Then Chuckie was saying something about 'can't' & helping. And then I heard, 'We're busting you out, Pickles!'."
Phil blushed with realization. "Oops."
"Oops indeed. Don't worry; I won't tell the others it was you who ratted them out."
"Well, it all worked out for the good. You came with us & you even got a front row seat to watch Angelica ruin the concert."
"Well of course I came with you guys. I'd been entrusted with Tommy & I had to keep an eye on you kids."
"Y'know, I can't believe I'm in love with the same person who used to babysit me."
"You? I'm in love with one of the kids I used to babysit." She said as she grabbed the flashlight, and the hands that were holding it. Her hand then returned his favor by caressing his cheek. "Although you guys aren't kids anymore. You are definitely a man."
Phil was getting nervous now; they'd been beating around the bush for some time & he still hadn't done what he'd planned. But then, he wasn't used to being romantic. "Uh, listen doc...?"
"Yes?"
"Um, there's something I need to say..."
"Well?"
Prolonged hesitation, which for him grew more excruciating with each additional second. "Aaahhh, *sh* you know I'm not the one for all that romance stuff. Lil likes it, which is fine with me, but I don't go in for it. Lucky for her she has Chuckie."
"You're stalling, Deville."
"Oh, you just now noticed?"
"I was kind of tipped off awhile back."
"Well, like I was saying you know I don't go in for romance, but I have my moments. And when I surprise myself & get romantic you know it comes straight from here." He illustrated this with a Roman salute --- fist over heart. "So, well..."
"Yes?"
"Doc Suze?"
"Ooh, two nicknames at once."
"Yeah, this is serious."
"HAH!"
"Please."
"Go ahead."
"Um, a- are you sure I'm alright?"
She was floored. "That's what you needed to ask, with the romance & all?"
"Well, what could be more important to a person than whether that person is alright?"
She was getting frustrated. "Phil Deville, you may never be alright."
"Just answer me?"
She exhaled through clenched teeth. "Fine. Physically, you'll be alright."
"What about my knees?"
"WHAT?!?"
"My knees."
"Your knees are just fine."
"Good. I'm going to need them for what I'm about to do."
"And what's that? Streaking across Antarctica?"
"Nah. Tommy might do that, but I wouldn't."
"Fishing for piranha with your bare hands?"
"Maybe a pair of thick gloves."
"Spelunking in Mt. St. Helens? Boogy-boarding down the slope of Kilauea?"
"Hold on, let me get all this down. This is some good stuff--"
"PHIL!!"
"I'm kidding. This is bigger than all of that put together." He fell into thought again. "Except maybe that Kilauea one; that sounds cool."
Disbelieving, exasperated, frustrated, all applied to Susie's mood. But Phil paid no mind as from his perch on top of her desk he stood, almost banging his head on the ceiling.
"You don't even know if this desk can hold your weight."
"Just another of those crazy Deville risks."
She shook her head in disbelief, then, as he went down to one knee, she did something else in disbelief. "Whoa!"
After a minute's struggle such as is to be expected when you're trying to fish something out of a pocket located in a part of your clothing that's currently bent at an inconvenient angle, he finally managed to force the box out of his pocket.
"Whoa!" again.
It was nutcracking time, & Phil did so. "Susannah Carmichael, will you marry me?" But he couldn't take the utter serious, so he ad-libbed from the traditional suitor's script. "I'll make you an honest woman." he added in a New York tough guy accent.
Susie's euphoria ebbed & her brow furrowed at those last words, then she recognized the line from Grease. It was the scene where Rizzo had just told Kenickie she wasn't pregnant & he summarily proposed to her. *So, he's still trying to get me to play Rizzo to his Kenickie. Well, as long as no one else is watching...* "If dat's a line I ain't bitin'."
"It's a bona fide offer." With that he extended the ring further, almost to her hand.
She accepted it as she finished the scene. "Well, it ain't moonlight & roses, but..."
The scene & the proposal / acceptance consummated, Phil leaned down to meet Susie's lips with his own. His arms reached out to encircle her, she still in her swivel chair (the kind with wheels --- they're called casters).
Suddenly, "Cleve!"
Susie was used to Phil's weirdness, but he could still surprise her. "What?"
"That was his name, Cleve Francis."
?????????????
"That country-singing cardiologist I was telling you about."
"Thank you very much for that, Phillip!"
"Hey, only Lil can call me that."
"You deserve it. And anyway, you called me Susannah first. Now you'd better either break this up or make some other arrangements beacuse the way you're going right now you're about to crush me."
He was up to the challenge; he hit the floor for a split second before sliding into her chair, sliding her over onto his lap. She climbed on top of him & they initiated an impromptu makeout session, leaning the chair back to the wall.
And baby makes three, as they used to say. Or former babies make three, couples, that is. So now that they're all engaged, the next step is to tell each other. And then, everything else. Cy'all next week, weather permitting. Continue to review, please.