Hello again. Sorry this chapter took so long. Things happen in your life, your brother visits for a week, the family gets a puppy, suddenly your time is not your own. Enough of that; time for the next chapter. Here it is. Oh, and to forestall questions about Angelica & Timmy? They're on their way. Literally.
Thank you, Junior.
Lil Kimi, thanks. Yeah, that chapter was short, & this one's not much longer. Some are long, some are short, that's the way it goes. This is an interesting interpersonal dynamic that you mention, & I have Pokejedservo to thank for pointing it out to me. You're right; if you know what to look for it's kind of obvious. I'm thinking of another blonde girl from another Nicktoon; Starry Nights will know what I mean. I haven't had any complaints yet, but it's early yet. Thank you for trusting my judgment; I hope to earn it. And thanks for filling me in on Kimi's father; I was going to put the info to use here & I guess I did.
Kimmy Larisa, thank you. Dil? He'll find out, if he hasn't already; you'll see; when he enters the picture... well, I'd better not spoil it. Let's just say that he's on his way too. Also literally. And I appreciate your help with the first parents, although they are mentioned here; I love fan fiction.
Nightw2, thanks.
And thank you too, Al-, wait, it's CrazyGo-, no, now it's Laura U. Sleekabida. Ladies & gentlemen, the winner of the Scott Levy award! A certain Histeria author --- and I don't mean Pokejedservo --- knows what I mean.
Speaking of, thanks for reviewing again, PJS; I assure you that soon I will review the H! fics on ff.n . And I will develop this, you'll see.
And thank you Starry Nights. You're right; unresolved issues. And adding this twist would really make things interesting in One Big Adventure (looking forward to Ch. 24). And things are already twisted enough there. You don't think they make a cute couple? Well, the guy who reviewed just ahead of you does. Me, I'm kind of on the fence, but I'm stirring some of that in here anyway; oh well. As to whether I'm going to throw a curve or two, I dunno. I have to fill in the details of what's going on with the gang while the McNultys are winging their way homeward, is that the same thing? I didn't think so.
Rugrats is created, copyrighted, & / or owned by Klasky-Csupo & / or Nickelodeon. DareDevilles is copyrighted to me. The Cadillac Deville is copyrighted to the Cadillac division of General Motors. Kate & Leopold is copyrighted Miramax. Hugh Jackman, Mills Lane, & Torquemada are copyrighted to themselves.
It was a typical picture perfect spring day. The younger Devilles were next door, that is to say, they were at the Pickles house. Specifically, Phil & Lil were in the Pickles' back yard waiting for the others in the group. Now that production had wrapped on the season finale of DareDevilles, their time was their own.
The same could not be said for Tom Pickles, who was at this moment still toiling away alongside his father in the newly expanded basement workshop of the Pickles house. But Tom's friends were accustomed to his work habit; they didn't always like it, but they were accustomed to it.
The neighbors were seated at a table similar to the one they had at work. It had been erected a couple of years previously over the sandbox. Although the sandbox hadn't been used in years, no one had had the heart to take it down or even let it fall into disrepair. They still gathered there; just a few feet higher up than when they were younger.
As they waited for the others, the twins had time on their hands. With nothing else to do, they fell back on the usual pursuit for those with nothing else to do: they talked with each other.
"Phillip?"
"Yes, Lillian?"
"Have you given any thought to what Mom & Dad were hinting at last night?"
"More than even you are aware of. Why, do you have a problem with it?"
"Of course not! Like you said, she's the best thing to have ever happened to you. Anyone who does have a problem with it will have to deal with me, & I think it's safe to assume the same goes for the others. Whoever takes one of us on takes all of us on."
"Alright, I was just asking!"
"Trust me, I have no more problem with you & Susie than you do with me & Chuck."
"Chuck & me."
"Why, Phillip! How could you? My fiancee & my brother, behind my back!"
"And you say I have a dirty mind."
"I am your twin; it's inevitable I'd get some of the same genes. Usually, I can fight it; but sometimes... Seriously, you don't have a problem with us, do you?"
"Hey, Chuck's the one among us I never had a problem with. Other than Suze of course."
"Of course."
That finished the conversation for the time being. Eventually, however,...
"Hm hm hm hm!"
"What's so funny?"
"Remember when we thought those two would wind up together?"
"Our fiancees?"
"Who else?"
"Yeah. And you & me, brother, we'd have the other couple to ourselves."
"You & Tom, Kimi & me. Ha! Didn't give you the chance to correct me there!"
"I'll concede that point, Phillip. But only that point."
"Yay for me anyway."
"Mm." pause "Phillip?"
"Yes, Lillian? And haven't we done this before?"
"I'll ignore the last part of that. Suppose, just for the sake of argument, that Susie dumped you & Kimi wanted to come back to you, what would you do?"
Again, Phil Deville actually had to give a subject a great deal of thought. Alright, he actually could be smart when he wanted to, but he had a reputation to keep up. "I'd tell Kimi to go back to her true love, & I'd devote the rest of my life to winning Suze back."
Lil nodded approvingly. "And I'd do the same, in a comparable situation with Chuck & Tom."
Now Phil was actually reflecting. "We have matured, haven't we?"
"Hopefully not too much; I still like to have fun as much as the next person."
"Who right now happens to be me."
"Maybe I should rephrase that. Anyway, Susie says she still has her work cut out for her with you."
"I can't make it too easy for her, can I?"
"She's always taken care of all of us. Chuck too. Would you believe he once told me that if we'd never met him, you & I might be on death row by now?"
"He once told me that too. And that Tom would be wasted & Angelica long gone in Betty Ford, & we'd never have met Suze or Kimi."
"Think he was serious?"
"He's always shot straight with us."
As they talked, the current topic of conversation was about to join them.
In the driveway of the Deville residence was a sky-blue Cadillac with a pink top & purple interior. It might sound like a mixed-up color scheme, the reason for which is that it was a mixed-up color scheme. When GM sent the latest annual delivery from Detroit the twins were finally allowed to select which colors they wanted. Big mistake. Phil wanted blue & Lil wanted pink, so they compromised, having both cars painted in both colors. And the interior was decided on by concensus of the others.
That Cadillac was now joined by its twin, which then passed it, continuing to the Pickles garage, where it parked. As it did so, the twins noticed. Lil's full attention straightway fastened on to it, knowing who it contained. That wasn't the only effect it had on her, which her brother noticed.
"Whoa, your face just lit up, at least 20 lumens."
"Lumens?"
"Candlepower?" he shrugged, before favoring his sister with a brotherly look, complete with a warm smile. "You're really in love with him."
"Yes."
The smile ripened into a grin, then split wide open, disgorging the laughs inside.
"Stop that." to no avail. Then, "Hi, Susie!"
"Wha-?" His head whipped around, looking behind him, finding noone. Too late, he realized he'd been had. Now the look he gave his sister was more baleful. "Hey that's not fair!"
And who was laughing now?
Meanwhile, inside Deville 2, another earnest conversation was occurring.
"You, stop that!"
"Or what?"
"Or I'll, I'll, I'll take Wa-wa hostage, that's what I'll do."
"Hey, don't you even joke about that!"
"What? What's the big deal?"
"It's..."
"It's what?"
Chuck tried to articulate his reasons, finally slumping in the driver's seat with "It's one of the few things I have to remember her by."
"'By which to remember her', genius."
"I'm serious."
"I know." pause. "I thought after all this time, all of these years, you'd have accepted things. I can't think of anything Mom hasn't done to get you to accept her."
"I have accepted her; I couldn't have asked for a better Mom than her. It's just... What about you? Ever think about your birth father?"
"Not really. Chaz Finster is my Dad."
"And in almost every way that counts, Kira Watanabe-Finster is my Mom."
"You just had to qualify that."
"Yes, I did. Melinda gave birth to me; I can't shut her out of my thoughts, nor should I. You really never think about him, never wonder?"
"Mom never talks about him."
"I guess Dad would never have talked about her if the gang & I hadn't found her picture & some other mementoes. On Mothers Day, yet."
"Yeah, you showed me. Something about becoming one with the wind & the flowers & the rain & the trees & all that. Sounds new age to me."
"We are in California."
"True."
"Seriously, Kimi, you should at least think about finding out more about your biological father. One day one of those stunts you guys pull could go horribly wrong & you might need to know some stuff for medical reasons."
"I'll think about it. Now could we talk about something more important?"
"What could be more important than our parents?"
"Those with whom we'll be parents."
"Well..."
"Oh! there's that blush, you look so adorable when you blush like that! No wonder MY bestest friend fell so hard for you."
"Thanks, & I couldn't help it. When you mentioned, well, what you mentioned..."
"All of us are getting married; it's the next step. You know it's going to happen."
"I know, it's just... wait, he hasn't..."
"Tommy's a gentleman; you've trained him well, too well. He wouldn't put a move on his bestest friend's sister even if he was in love with her. If anything it was the other way around."
"Oh, good." pause "Wait, you didn't."
laughter
"Kimi?"
more laughter
"Kimi!"
But she answered never a word. By now she was out of the car & walking toward the Pickles back yard, laughing all the way, big brother following hot on her heels.
Chuck & Kimi came in sight of the Devilles. They had walked around the house to the backyard, not bothering to say hello to Didi, who was in the house. Phil & Lil noticed this & decided to comment on it as the Finsters came within earshot.
"They just come right in; not even going to bother checking in at the house." came from Phil.
"Kind of presumptuous, don't you think?" Lil added.
"I'd better not need an invitation!" Kimi shot back.
"Hey, his best friend, his fiancee, I think we're safe." Chuck defended.
"Well, you never know." Phil alluded.
"So where is my Tom-boy?" asked Kimi, "As if I didn't know."
"You called it," Lil confirmed, "still holed up in his workshop."
"You're welcome to join us in waiting for him & Suze." Phil offered, gesturing to Kimi & Chuck's usual chairs.
"He's waiting for Susie." Lil confided.
"Hey, we're both waiting for Tommy too, Lilian!" Phil defended.
"Speak for yourself, Phillip," Lil responded, "The only one I've been waiting for has just arrived."
But as she was about to plant one on Chuck, she was interrupted, by Kimi of all people.
"Hold it!"
"What?"
"If I'm not getting any, no one's getting any; not until Tommy emerges long enough for us to see if he sees his shadow or not."
"You're torturing me, sis, you do know that."
"And ironically you're the one I don't have to worry about. He is such a romantic," Kimi added to the others, "in that old-fashioned kind of way."
"Don't I know it." Lil responded. "I can't explain it; it's like he's from another time."
"I know what you mean. One of these days I'm going to have to tie Tommy down--"
"That sounds like fun." Phil interjected.
"Pervert!" came from his sister.
"And your point is?"
" *sigh* Susie, where are you when we need you?"
"Hey, no-one needs Suze more than me."
"No argument there."
"Like I was saying, twins, one of these days I'm going to have to tie Tommy down & force him to sit through Kate & Leopold with me."
"AUAUAAGGHHH!!!! NOOOOO!!!!"
"Put a lid on it, Phillip! But that's it, Kimi; that's exactly what Chuck's like. That chivalrous Victorian era charisma, in a shy kind of a way. I should've seen it earlier."
"Tell me about it. One time she forced me to watch that movie with her." put in Phil.
"You're kidding!"
"Oh, Chuck, are you still here?"
"Yeah, just sitting here, quietly getting a big head. You've really seen that movie?"
"Not by choice, Chuckeroo. But how else would I know the significance of this: who are you?"
"I'm the man who loves your sister. Alright, you've convinced me."
"But seriously," Lil brought the conversation back to where it had been, "I mean check him out, the hair, the sideburns," by now she was touching him here & there, "he is quite the Hugh Jackman."
"More than I wanted to know." came from her twin to puzzlement from the others.
"Something tells me we'll be saying that too if we ask him." Chuck cautioned.
"And yet here we go." came from his sister. "What're you talking about?"
And here it came. "I didn't even know that's what people are calling it nowadays, an 'ackman'? If it's not that, why else would you be saying he was a huge one?"
The groans from that were even louder than usual, not to mention more painful.
"That is it, Phillip! When Susie gets here I'll advise her to make you take a cold shower right after the weddings."
"She wants it as much as I do."
"Phillip Deville, you will stay there at your place at the table & not say a word for 3 hours & 27 minutes."
"Why that particular length of time?" Kimi asked her big brother.
"Why not? It was the first one that came to mind."
"And I thought I was the one who got sick at talk of love."
"This isn't love you're talking about."
"Please, I don't think I'm ready to hear that they're not the same."
"ENOUGH!" Lil had had it.
Nervous minutes passed; finally, Phil once again defied his orders.
"May I ask a question?"
"You just did." Chuck responded.
"Alright, may I ask one after this one?"
pause
"I must have a hole in my head --- actually, I have seven --- but I'll allow it."
"Thank you, Mills Lane."
"You sure?" came from Lil.
"As the oldest one here, and his agent, I'll take responsibility for whatever happens. Phil, watch yourself."
"Message received. Kimi?"
"What is it?"
"If I might ask, if we're not going to be occupied with our significant others --- leaving out the fact that mine isn't here yet either --- what are we going to do?"
"I knew I'd forgotten something! Well, you guys are going to talk, and I'm going to listen."
"What about?" Lil wondered.
"Tommy. Now that I'm marrying him I want to know everything about him."
"But Kimi," Chuck reasoned, "you've known him as long as the rest of us have."
"Not true. The rest of you knew him months before I met any of you, long before Dil was born even. So, talk. Tell. me. everything."
"Yes, ma'am." chanted the others in unison. They were afraid not to do what Kimi said. This mini-Mary Lou was a tiny terror who could beat up all of them if she wanted to. She hadn't wanted to yet, but there was no sense in taking any chances.
"I'm not a ma'am yet." Kimi shot back.
So the time passed slowly as Kimi grilled Chuckie, Phil & Lil about her fiancee. After an hour Susie showed up, just in time to catch the tail end of yet another Tommy story, this one being told by Chuckie solo.
"Prudence?!?" came from the others around the table.
"Yeah, that turned out to be her real name." came from Chuckie.
"So was she another of the many loves of Tommy Pickles?" Lil inquired pointedly.
"Very funny, & no. That would be Belinda."
"Oh, really?" Kimi archly inquired.
It was at this point that Susie finally made her presence known. "Excuse me?"
And it was Phil's turn to have a lit up face. "Hi Suze!"
"Am I interrupting anything?"
Chuck fielded that one. "Just my little sister giving one & all the third degree regarding one Thomas Pickles, Esquire."
"She wants to know everything about him." came from Phil.
"And that does mean everything." from Lil.
At that moment Susie tried to plant one on Phil, & got a similar reaction to the one Lil had.
"Hey hey hey, I said!" Kimi shouted.
"Oh yeah," Phil sighed, his right index finger finding the middle of Susie's lips as if he was helping her to shush someone. "Sorry, doc. Kimi's rule. There's no lovin' happenin' here until her man joins us."
"So where is the subject?" asked Susie, her gaze falling on the Pickles house. "Still holed up?" Nods all around. "I don't suppose it's occurred to anyone to flush him out?"
"Well, it might have if someone hadn't taken it into their head to play Torquemada." Phil complained.
"You say that like it's a bad thing." said Kimi.
"Well I will." And with that, Susie strode a-purpose toward the house. "The rest of you continue with the trip down memory lane, & I'll get the crowbar out of storage. If that doesn't work I'll try dynamite."
"Are you sure you'll be allowed down there?" Lil called.
"Hey, I used to babysit you guys, including him. I'll get down there."
"Say doc, would you be interested in babysitting me?" came from Phil.
"I can't hear you!" shouted Susie as she reached the back door. And it's anyone's guess whether or not she was faking.
As the door closed on Susie, Lil wondered, "Do you think she's serious?"
"Hey, to get to start kissing me, she's serious." Phil gloated.
Lil had a comeback for that, but it would have to wait. Kimi, not letting up for a second, turned back to the others, specifically her brother. "So, about this Belinda..."
So what's Tommy doing all this time down in the basement? Find out in the next installment of The Rugrats Weddings. Until then, & for that matter after then as well, I'm Nftnat. On e-mail I'm nftnat@aol.com & on IM I'm Nftnat. Please review, y'all. Cy'all later.
Thank you, Junior.
Lil Kimi, thanks. Yeah, that chapter was short, & this one's not much longer. Some are long, some are short, that's the way it goes. This is an interesting interpersonal dynamic that you mention, & I have Pokejedservo to thank for pointing it out to me. You're right; if you know what to look for it's kind of obvious. I'm thinking of another blonde girl from another Nicktoon; Starry Nights will know what I mean. I haven't had any complaints yet, but it's early yet. Thank you for trusting my judgment; I hope to earn it. And thanks for filling me in on Kimi's father; I was going to put the info to use here & I guess I did.
Kimmy Larisa, thank you. Dil? He'll find out, if he hasn't already; you'll see; when he enters the picture... well, I'd better not spoil it. Let's just say that he's on his way too. Also literally. And I appreciate your help with the first parents, although they are mentioned here; I love fan fiction.
Nightw2, thanks.
And thank you too, Al-, wait, it's CrazyGo-, no, now it's Laura U. Sleekabida. Ladies & gentlemen, the winner of the Scott Levy award! A certain Histeria author --- and I don't mean Pokejedservo --- knows what I mean.
Speaking of, thanks for reviewing again, PJS; I assure you that soon I will review the H! fics on ff.n . And I will develop this, you'll see.
And thank you Starry Nights. You're right; unresolved issues. And adding this twist would really make things interesting in One Big Adventure (looking forward to Ch. 24). And things are already twisted enough there. You don't think they make a cute couple? Well, the guy who reviewed just ahead of you does. Me, I'm kind of on the fence, but I'm stirring some of that in here anyway; oh well. As to whether I'm going to throw a curve or two, I dunno. I have to fill in the details of what's going on with the gang while the McNultys are winging their way homeward, is that the same thing? I didn't think so.
Rugrats is created, copyrighted, & / or owned by Klasky-Csupo & / or Nickelodeon. DareDevilles is copyrighted to me. The Cadillac Deville is copyrighted to the Cadillac division of General Motors. Kate & Leopold is copyrighted Miramax. Hugh Jackman, Mills Lane, & Torquemada are copyrighted to themselves.
It was a typical picture perfect spring day. The younger Devilles were next door, that is to say, they were at the Pickles house. Specifically, Phil & Lil were in the Pickles' back yard waiting for the others in the group. Now that production had wrapped on the season finale of DareDevilles, their time was their own.
The same could not be said for Tom Pickles, who was at this moment still toiling away alongside his father in the newly expanded basement workshop of the Pickles house. But Tom's friends were accustomed to his work habit; they didn't always like it, but they were accustomed to it.
The neighbors were seated at a table similar to the one they had at work. It had been erected a couple of years previously over the sandbox. Although the sandbox hadn't been used in years, no one had had the heart to take it down or even let it fall into disrepair. They still gathered there; just a few feet higher up than when they were younger.
As they waited for the others, the twins had time on their hands. With nothing else to do, they fell back on the usual pursuit for those with nothing else to do: they talked with each other.
"Phillip?"
"Yes, Lillian?"
"Have you given any thought to what Mom & Dad were hinting at last night?"
"More than even you are aware of. Why, do you have a problem with it?"
"Of course not! Like you said, she's the best thing to have ever happened to you. Anyone who does have a problem with it will have to deal with me, & I think it's safe to assume the same goes for the others. Whoever takes one of us on takes all of us on."
"Alright, I was just asking!"
"Trust me, I have no more problem with you & Susie than you do with me & Chuck."
"Chuck & me."
"Why, Phillip! How could you? My fiancee & my brother, behind my back!"
"And you say I have a dirty mind."
"I am your twin; it's inevitable I'd get some of the same genes. Usually, I can fight it; but sometimes... Seriously, you don't have a problem with us, do you?"
"Hey, Chuck's the one among us I never had a problem with. Other than Suze of course."
"Of course."
That finished the conversation for the time being. Eventually, however,...
"Hm hm hm hm!"
"What's so funny?"
"Remember when we thought those two would wind up together?"
"Our fiancees?"
"Who else?"
"Yeah. And you & me, brother, we'd have the other couple to ourselves."
"You & Tom, Kimi & me. Ha! Didn't give you the chance to correct me there!"
"I'll concede that point, Phillip. But only that point."
"Yay for me anyway."
"Mm." pause "Phillip?"
"Yes, Lillian? And haven't we done this before?"
"I'll ignore the last part of that. Suppose, just for the sake of argument, that Susie dumped you & Kimi wanted to come back to you, what would you do?"
Again, Phil Deville actually had to give a subject a great deal of thought. Alright, he actually could be smart when he wanted to, but he had a reputation to keep up. "I'd tell Kimi to go back to her true love, & I'd devote the rest of my life to winning Suze back."
Lil nodded approvingly. "And I'd do the same, in a comparable situation with Chuck & Tom."
Now Phil was actually reflecting. "We have matured, haven't we?"
"Hopefully not too much; I still like to have fun as much as the next person."
"Who right now happens to be me."
"Maybe I should rephrase that. Anyway, Susie says she still has her work cut out for her with you."
"I can't make it too easy for her, can I?"
"She's always taken care of all of us. Chuck too. Would you believe he once told me that if we'd never met him, you & I might be on death row by now?"
"He once told me that too. And that Tom would be wasted & Angelica long gone in Betty Ford, & we'd never have met Suze or Kimi."
"Think he was serious?"
"He's always shot straight with us."
As they talked, the current topic of conversation was about to join them.
In the driveway of the Deville residence was a sky-blue Cadillac with a pink top & purple interior. It might sound like a mixed-up color scheme, the reason for which is that it was a mixed-up color scheme. When GM sent the latest annual delivery from Detroit the twins were finally allowed to select which colors they wanted. Big mistake. Phil wanted blue & Lil wanted pink, so they compromised, having both cars painted in both colors. And the interior was decided on by concensus of the others.
That Cadillac was now joined by its twin, which then passed it, continuing to the Pickles garage, where it parked. As it did so, the twins noticed. Lil's full attention straightway fastened on to it, knowing who it contained. That wasn't the only effect it had on her, which her brother noticed.
"Whoa, your face just lit up, at least 20 lumens."
"Lumens?"
"Candlepower?" he shrugged, before favoring his sister with a brotherly look, complete with a warm smile. "You're really in love with him."
"Yes."
The smile ripened into a grin, then split wide open, disgorging the laughs inside.
"Stop that." to no avail. Then, "Hi, Susie!"
"Wha-?" His head whipped around, looking behind him, finding noone. Too late, he realized he'd been had. Now the look he gave his sister was more baleful. "Hey that's not fair!"
And who was laughing now?
Meanwhile, inside Deville 2, another earnest conversation was occurring.
"You, stop that!"
"Or what?"
"Or I'll, I'll, I'll take Wa-wa hostage, that's what I'll do."
"Hey, don't you even joke about that!"
"What? What's the big deal?"
"It's..."
"It's what?"
Chuck tried to articulate his reasons, finally slumping in the driver's seat with "It's one of the few things I have to remember her by."
"'By which to remember her', genius."
"I'm serious."
"I know." pause. "I thought after all this time, all of these years, you'd have accepted things. I can't think of anything Mom hasn't done to get you to accept her."
"I have accepted her; I couldn't have asked for a better Mom than her. It's just... What about you? Ever think about your birth father?"
"Not really. Chaz Finster is my Dad."
"And in almost every way that counts, Kira Watanabe-Finster is my Mom."
"You just had to qualify that."
"Yes, I did. Melinda gave birth to me; I can't shut her out of my thoughts, nor should I. You really never think about him, never wonder?"
"Mom never talks about him."
"I guess Dad would never have talked about her if the gang & I hadn't found her picture & some other mementoes. On Mothers Day, yet."
"Yeah, you showed me. Something about becoming one with the wind & the flowers & the rain & the trees & all that. Sounds new age to me."
"We are in California."
"True."
"Seriously, Kimi, you should at least think about finding out more about your biological father. One day one of those stunts you guys pull could go horribly wrong & you might need to know some stuff for medical reasons."
"I'll think about it. Now could we talk about something more important?"
"What could be more important than our parents?"
"Those with whom we'll be parents."
"Well..."
"Oh! there's that blush, you look so adorable when you blush like that! No wonder MY bestest friend fell so hard for you."
"Thanks, & I couldn't help it. When you mentioned, well, what you mentioned..."
"All of us are getting married; it's the next step. You know it's going to happen."
"I know, it's just... wait, he hasn't..."
"Tommy's a gentleman; you've trained him well, too well. He wouldn't put a move on his bestest friend's sister even if he was in love with her. If anything it was the other way around."
"Oh, good." pause "Wait, you didn't."
laughter
"Kimi?"
more laughter
"Kimi!"
But she answered never a word. By now she was out of the car & walking toward the Pickles back yard, laughing all the way, big brother following hot on her heels.
Chuck & Kimi came in sight of the Devilles. They had walked around the house to the backyard, not bothering to say hello to Didi, who was in the house. Phil & Lil noticed this & decided to comment on it as the Finsters came within earshot.
"They just come right in; not even going to bother checking in at the house." came from Phil.
"Kind of presumptuous, don't you think?" Lil added.
"I'd better not need an invitation!" Kimi shot back.
"Hey, his best friend, his fiancee, I think we're safe." Chuck defended.
"Well, you never know." Phil alluded.
"So where is my Tom-boy?" asked Kimi, "As if I didn't know."
"You called it," Lil confirmed, "still holed up in his workshop."
"You're welcome to join us in waiting for him & Suze." Phil offered, gesturing to Kimi & Chuck's usual chairs.
"He's waiting for Susie." Lil confided.
"Hey, we're both waiting for Tommy too, Lilian!" Phil defended.
"Speak for yourself, Phillip," Lil responded, "The only one I've been waiting for has just arrived."
But as she was about to plant one on Chuck, she was interrupted, by Kimi of all people.
"Hold it!"
"What?"
"If I'm not getting any, no one's getting any; not until Tommy emerges long enough for us to see if he sees his shadow or not."
"You're torturing me, sis, you do know that."
"And ironically you're the one I don't have to worry about. He is such a romantic," Kimi added to the others, "in that old-fashioned kind of way."
"Don't I know it." Lil responded. "I can't explain it; it's like he's from another time."
"I know what you mean. One of these days I'm going to have to tie Tommy down--"
"That sounds like fun." Phil interjected.
"Pervert!" came from his sister.
"And your point is?"
" *sigh* Susie, where are you when we need you?"
"Hey, no-one needs Suze more than me."
"No argument there."
"Like I was saying, twins, one of these days I'm going to have to tie Tommy down & force him to sit through Kate & Leopold with me."
"AUAUAAGGHHH!!!! NOOOOO!!!!"
"Put a lid on it, Phillip! But that's it, Kimi; that's exactly what Chuck's like. That chivalrous Victorian era charisma, in a shy kind of a way. I should've seen it earlier."
"Tell me about it. One time she forced me to watch that movie with her." put in Phil.
"You're kidding!"
"Oh, Chuck, are you still here?"
"Yeah, just sitting here, quietly getting a big head. You've really seen that movie?"
"Not by choice, Chuckeroo. But how else would I know the significance of this: who are you?"
"I'm the man who loves your sister. Alright, you've convinced me."
"But seriously," Lil brought the conversation back to where it had been, "I mean check him out, the hair, the sideburns," by now she was touching him here & there, "he is quite the Hugh Jackman."
"More than I wanted to know." came from her twin to puzzlement from the others.
"Something tells me we'll be saying that too if we ask him." Chuck cautioned.
"And yet here we go." came from his sister. "What're you talking about?"
And here it came. "I didn't even know that's what people are calling it nowadays, an 'ackman'? If it's not that, why else would you be saying he was a huge one?"
The groans from that were even louder than usual, not to mention more painful.
"That is it, Phillip! When Susie gets here I'll advise her to make you take a cold shower right after the weddings."
"She wants it as much as I do."
"Phillip Deville, you will stay there at your place at the table & not say a word for 3 hours & 27 minutes."
"Why that particular length of time?" Kimi asked her big brother.
"Why not? It was the first one that came to mind."
"And I thought I was the one who got sick at talk of love."
"This isn't love you're talking about."
"Please, I don't think I'm ready to hear that they're not the same."
"ENOUGH!" Lil had had it.
Nervous minutes passed; finally, Phil once again defied his orders.
"May I ask a question?"
"You just did." Chuck responded.
"Alright, may I ask one after this one?"
pause
"I must have a hole in my head --- actually, I have seven --- but I'll allow it."
"Thank you, Mills Lane."
"You sure?" came from Lil.
"As the oldest one here, and his agent, I'll take responsibility for whatever happens. Phil, watch yourself."
"Message received. Kimi?"
"What is it?"
"If I might ask, if we're not going to be occupied with our significant others --- leaving out the fact that mine isn't here yet either --- what are we going to do?"
"I knew I'd forgotten something! Well, you guys are going to talk, and I'm going to listen."
"What about?" Lil wondered.
"Tommy. Now that I'm marrying him I want to know everything about him."
"But Kimi," Chuck reasoned, "you've known him as long as the rest of us have."
"Not true. The rest of you knew him months before I met any of you, long before Dil was born even. So, talk. Tell. me. everything."
"Yes, ma'am." chanted the others in unison. They were afraid not to do what Kimi said. This mini-Mary Lou was a tiny terror who could beat up all of them if she wanted to. She hadn't wanted to yet, but there was no sense in taking any chances.
"I'm not a ma'am yet." Kimi shot back.
So the time passed slowly as Kimi grilled Chuckie, Phil & Lil about her fiancee. After an hour Susie showed up, just in time to catch the tail end of yet another Tommy story, this one being told by Chuckie solo.
"Prudence?!?" came from the others around the table.
"Yeah, that turned out to be her real name." came from Chuckie.
"So was she another of the many loves of Tommy Pickles?" Lil inquired pointedly.
"Very funny, & no. That would be Belinda."
"Oh, really?" Kimi archly inquired.
It was at this point that Susie finally made her presence known. "Excuse me?"
And it was Phil's turn to have a lit up face. "Hi Suze!"
"Am I interrupting anything?"
Chuck fielded that one. "Just my little sister giving one & all the third degree regarding one Thomas Pickles, Esquire."
"She wants to know everything about him." came from Phil.
"And that does mean everything." from Lil.
At that moment Susie tried to plant one on Phil, & got a similar reaction to the one Lil had.
"Hey hey hey, I said!" Kimi shouted.
"Oh yeah," Phil sighed, his right index finger finding the middle of Susie's lips as if he was helping her to shush someone. "Sorry, doc. Kimi's rule. There's no lovin' happenin' here until her man joins us."
"So where is the subject?" asked Susie, her gaze falling on the Pickles house. "Still holed up?" Nods all around. "I don't suppose it's occurred to anyone to flush him out?"
"Well, it might have if someone hadn't taken it into their head to play Torquemada." Phil complained.
"You say that like it's a bad thing." said Kimi.
"Well I will." And with that, Susie strode a-purpose toward the house. "The rest of you continue with the trip down memory lane, & I'll get the crowbar out of storage. If that doesn't work I'll try dynamite."
"Are you sure you'll be allowed down there?" Lil called.
"Hey, I used to babysit you guys, including him. I'll get down there."
"Say doc, would you be interested in babysitting me?" came from Phil.
"I can't hear you!" shouted Susie as she reached the back door. And it's anyone's guess whether or not she was faking.
As the door closed on Susie, Lil wondered, "Do you think she's serious?"
"Hey, to get to start kissing me, she's serious." Phil gloated.
Lil had a comeback for that, but it would have to wait. Kimi, not letting up for a second, turned back to the others, specifically her brother. "So, about this Belinda..."
So what's Tommy doing all this time down in the basement? Find out in the next installment of The Rugrats Weddings. Until then, & for that matter after then as well, I'm Nftnat. On e-mail I'm nftnat@aol.com & on IM I'm Nftnat. Please review, y'all. Cy'all later.