Finally, I put up another chapter of the Rugrats Weddings. Many thanks to Lil Kimi for giving me a little push while reviewing Hearts In a Tangle; it gave me the impetus to finally finish this chapter. That's right; most of the chapter had been done for months, but I was a bit stuck on Chuckie's speech. No more, obviously. Here it is then.
I must warn y'all, though, that this will be intense. There are issues in the past with which I deal here. It ain't pretty. Oh, and there will be refs to dozens of episodes; if anyone wants I could post a list. Lemme know.
Reviews, reviews. Thank you, Kimmy Larisa. Yes, Dil showed up. He doesn't have much to do here, but I do have plans for Dil.
Thanks for the review, Nightw2. And you're welcome for finally updating, which I do again here.
And thank you, Pokejedservo. You do well to be intrigued. Of course I know that you're a Chuckie / Angelica shipper; I start to deal with that here. I'm thinking that Angelica had been seriously crushing on Chuckie from the get-go, but something inside herself short-circuited any efforts she might have made, causing things to go hideously awry. Imo the shy & sensitive Finster could very well have taken the many dishes of suffering dished out to him personally. Very personally. Kind of like a Helga & Arnold thing, if Helga was a year older than Arnold. But that's just me. Bear with me, though. They will work through this, and I have plans to resolve for a beautiful resolution. It won't result in pairing the two of them, though. For that I apologize.
Y'all, it goes without saying, but I say it anyway. Please read & review. Thank y'all.
It's a Wonderful Life was a Frank Capra film for Liberty Films (the only movie to come out of that studio).
Darkseid was created by Jack Kirby for DC Comics, a unit of AOL-TimeWarner.
The Grinch is a creation of Theodore Giesel, aka Dr. Suess.
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and the character Augustus Gloop were created by Roald Dahl.
Cinderella is an old folk tale to which the Walt Disney Corporation does not have all rights, although it's not from lack of effort on their part. They just have rights to their version of the story.
Steve Urkel is copyright Miller-Boyett Productions and Warner Brothers Domestic Television, a unit of AOL-TimeWarner.
The copyright on the Olympics is held by the International Olympic Committee, I think.
You Always Hurt the One You Love was written by Fisher & Roberts and has been recorded many many times by many many people including Charlie Barnet, Fats Domino, Connie Francis, Clarence 'Frogman' Henry, Earl Hines, Brenda Lee, and the Mills Brothers; it's what's known as a standard.
"So Angelica," began Tommy, "don't think we're not happy to see you --- because we're not --- but what are you doing here?"
"Yeah, shouldn't you be getting MergeCorp controlling interest in the E.U. about now?" put in Chuckie. As he said this, the expressions on the faces of four of the other five people at the table turned into something that could best be summarized as 'Huh?'
"It's been in the news and the financial sections, guys. MergeCorp is bordering on becoming a political entity; there's talk of it getting its own embassy, a seat in the U.N., & so on." Chuckie explained, then muttered to Timmy, "Someday these kids will learn there's more to reading material than Sports Inundated & Varie-T. And Bill-bored," he added, looking at Phil.
"You're exaggerating, Finster; we're not that powerful --- yet. And to answer your question, cousin, what do you think I'm doing here? Did you really think that my cousin, my best friend, & all of their closest friends --- who happen to comprise my innermost circle of friends --- would marry each other without me there having a say in the matter? No way! I'm here to give you guys the best wedding Planet Earth has ever seen!"
The ensuing silence was deafening, to the extent that Angelica was silenced, any additions she had thought to make to her monologue quite forgotten. A vague disquietude arose in the pit of her stomach. The heads around the table huddled for a conference; by the time they rose, Angelica was noticeably sweating.
"Um, Angelica," began Tommy, "what makes you think we want you planning our weddings?"
"WHAT?!?"
"What makes you think we want you involved with our weddings at all?" Lil added.
Already Angelica was quite distraught, & her psyche was deteriorating by the second. "But, but,..."
"You haven't exactly been nice to us over the years." came from Kimi.
"What are you guys talking about? Haven't I been a good friend to you through the years? Haven't I led you successfully through the path I had already trodden one or two years previously? Except for you, Susie. Haven't I been a friend and a mentor to you guys since you were babies?"
"Oh, don't go there, cousin." warned Tommy.
"You really don't want to start dragging out the garbage from our infancies." Chuckie said.
"What?!?! Name just one time I was really mean!"
"Hoo boy!" said Phil. It had begun.
"Someone want to pull up the database? Under 'Angelica, see also Torture, Cruelty, Bullying, Mental anguish...' " Susie began.
"What about the reunion, when you had me & the other cousins thinking we were going to leave with other parents?"
"What about when you had Phillip & me going against each other trying to find out which one was the favorite?"
"Or when you told us that Fluffy was going to eat our dad's tongue? Lillian was crying her eyes out!"
"And you'd always excuse it: 'It's not my fault they'll believe anything.' Well, you never hesitated to take advantage of their trusting natures, and then some. I remember the first time I saw you; you were in rare form with these guys. 'If I want something it's mine. If I want to hurt you I will. If I want...' "
"All right, I get the point already!" shouted Angelica.
"I remember when I started to act like you. Chuck was in tears & the others wanted nothing to do with me." was Kimi's contribution to the conversation.
"You always were especially mean to Chuck, Angelica." Tommy thought out loud. "Like that time you 'saved his life', so you made him be your slave."
"She did what?!?" Susie was outraged.
"Or that time you made him wear frilly panties, that he still doesn't want to talk about." Lil thought out loud, drawing a couple of curious looks.
"You guys still don't know the worst of it." Chuck whispered.
"What do you mean, Chuckaroo?" Tommy said, as everyone's attention now focused on the sad-faced redhead, including a now very nervous Angelica. He was silent, stirring concern in the others, especially Lil & Kim.
"Chuck, dear?"
"Big brother?"
Chuck finally spoke, so softly that the others had to stop everything they were doing to hear him. "Remember the time Dad's Latvian folk dance CD disappeared, & I blew up at the rest of you?"
"Oh, no!" whispered Angelica as her face drained of color, her eyes wide with terror.
"Yeah," recalled Tommy. "It turned out that Angelica took it, as I remember."
"Well, after the rest of you had left, Angelica told me that there were two kinds of people in the world: the kind that made things better, like her;" to a chorus of "HA!"s, "and the kind that gets in the way, like me." Audible gasps from the others, even Timmy. "She told me that there was nothing I could do about it, & that everyone would be much better off without me." Now the gasps bordered on cries of anger. "And it was only because of an 'It's a Wonderful Life' dream that I didn't run away from home that very day." By this time, Chuckie was in tears; and now no one had a kind word or look for the sour Pickles.
"You nearly drove my Chuckie away from us?"
"I almost didn't have a brother because of you?"
"When it was all your fault in the first place?"
"That's low even for you, cousin."
"These people are going to make some psychiatrist friends of mine a lot of money because of you, Angelica."
*WHAM!!* That was the sound of fists hitting the table, Chuck's fists. All attention was now riveted on him.
The preliminaries had concluded; it was time for the main event, time for the showdown. Time for the day of reckoning, Angelica's day of reckoning, and Chuck would exact it. All of his legal skills went into his address. Despite criminal prosecution not being his forte, he had had years to prepare this case.
"First of all, Angelica, I must say how proud I am. Of your husband, who has pulled off a miracle in overcoming your sweet teeth. Which probably meant he had to get you an entire new set."
"Hey!" Timmy wasn't certain what Chuck had meant by that, but he wasn't sure he liked it.
Chuck, momentarily apologetic, swung around to his fellow redhead. "I'm sorry, Timmy --- sorry because she's your wife --- but believe me, she's had this coming for a long, long time."
He then turned his wrath on she who had been the bane of his existence. The hurt that followed was the pent-up rage spawned from a million indignities and other unpleasantries over the years, a well-channelled tantrum from his inner child. This was his moment, for which he'd waited practically his entire lifetime, and he would not be denied.
"I remember the first time we ever met, Angelica." he began, his face flushed redder than usual. "Do you?"
No answer.
"Just about the first words out of your mouth were to scare me out of playing with Phil & Lil. Just like you talked Tommy out of playing with me, and the twins out of playing with him. From that came every other scheme you've ever hatched to separate us. Tommy vs. the rest of us. Lil vs. the rest of us. Me vs. the others. Phil vs. Lil. Tommy vs. Phil. Lil and me vs. Tommy and Phil. Ever since the very beginning, you wanted to cause trouble. You were trouble. You were... Phil?" Chuck interrupted himself. "What's the name of that guy in the comics? The one who fed off of the misery of others?"
Phil was glad to be able to answer him right away, and he did. "Um, you mean Darkseid?"
"Yeah, that's the one." He then returned his focus to Angelica. "That's who you're like. You're a female Darkseid, feeding off of our unhappiness. How else to explain it? Why else would you have wanted to set us against each other? Why else would you want us to be unhappy? Why else would you feel compelled to ruin every chance we ever had to have fun? That time with the box? You tried to take it away from us, it came apart, much to your delight. So we started playing with the pieces and you got angry. You took the pieces away from us, stomped on them, and shouted, 'STOP HAVING FUN!!!' And that wasn't the only time, not by a long shot. You've always been the grinch, you've always wanted to ruin the good times of others. You and your boundless capacity for hate.
"And greed, let's not forget that. Greed and gluttony. There's nothing you wouldn't have and didn't put us through to get more sweets for yourself. More candy, more cake, more cookies, especially cookies. No wonder you got diabetes in high school! Remember what I said to you at the confrontation? It still goes.
"I've been saving this." So saying, he opened his briefcase, and pulled out a piece of stiff paper, with which he hit the table. He then picked it up, and shoved it in her face, so to speak. "Remember this?"
Some of the others tried to get a good view of the paper. Kimi was the first to get a good enough look. "That looks like a nutrition chart."
"It is a nutrition chart." her brother returned. "And if you'll notice, most of the stuff is crossed out in crayon. All the meats, all the grains, dairy, fruits & vegetables, everything but junk food."
"What does it mean?" the doctor asked.
"That's obvious; in her childhood, she was on a crusade to restrict her diet to junk food." Chuck then swung his baleful gaze on the blonde yet again. "If she could have, she'd have had nothing but sweets all her life, and endless supplies of it. Another person she could be compared to is Augustus Gloop. Or am I the only one who's read Charlie & the Chocolate Factory?"
"We've all seen the movie, Chuck; we know who you're talking about." put in Phil.
The agent nodded acknowledgement before starting in again. "How many schemes did you come up with to get sweets for yourself, Angelica? The talking Spike scheme? The kidnapped Cynthia scheme? The fortune telling scheme? And how many times have you played sick or hurt to get more sweets?"
Then it was back to the others around the table. "That dream I told you guys about? I saw how she would have turned out. She was as big as a whale. She'd long since taken everything that was Tommy's including his parents. What happened to her own parents I don't know, maybe she ate them. I wouldn't put it past her. Anyway, she was in bed; only one part of her body was working, and guess which part."
"Her mouth?" came from his fiancee.
"Her mouth. It was constantly open and in motion. She was only doing two things, eating and screaming. And the junk food kept on coming, but it was never enough."
"Now that I think about it." Tommy remembered, "Dad did mention something in passing once. One time when she was staying over at our house? I don't remember the circumstances, but we thought her leg was broken, and then she was demanding, oh! she was demanding."
"So what's new?" several voices were heard in concert.
Tom continued. "It got to where Dad was making chocolate pudding for her at four in the morning because, as he put it, 'he'd lost control of his life'."
Chuck nodded. "That's just what I'm talking about. She never knew anything about kindness or compassion or caring for anyone but herself. Everyone exists for no reason other than to serve her. It's like she has to be the big boss, and we all have to be her slaves!
"And even that wasn't enough. It's not enough for her to use us, she had to abuse us too. Always pushing us, pulling our hair, hitting us, taking and / or breaking our stuff, generally making us miserable, laughing when she made us cry.
Now, yet again, he turned upon Angelica the full force of his fury. "Deny it if you can, Angelica! Every time someone had to go through something, you were always the first to take that knife and twist that thing, so to speak. Like when I went through potty training, or had chicken pox. Or when Tommy had to go get a shot. Or when I swallowed a watermelon seed. Or when I was afraid of sliding, or of dustbunnies, or of the car wash. Or before Dad & Mom met, how you tried to be a mother to me. Or your own twisted version, at least."
"I remember the sliding." Susie contributed. "You had him in tears, Angelica."
Chuck grimaced with that particular memory. "And just because I wasn't there at the time, don't think I haven't heard about what a comfort you were when Tommy got his first cut."
And now he really started in on her. "It's all about you, Angelica. It's always been about you, and no one else. Explain your actions any other way, if you can. Why did you break Tommy's clown lamp? Why did you hide my glasses? Why did you re-break the toys when Susie fixed them? Why did you try to get us to look and act sick? Why did you have us lie to Susie that time? Why did you play all those tricks and plant evidence so we'd blame Dil? Why did you try to turn Dil into a criminal, like you? Why did you give me the Cinderella treatment after Dad & Mom got married? Why did you trade Phil for some toy? Why did you tell me Tommy was going to replace me in the family? Why did you tell them I was an alien? Or that the sky was falling? Or that Dil disappeared into the computer? Or that the stars were falling? Or that I was allergic to Kimi? Or that Tommy would disappear if Dil got his old toys, and don't get me started on Susie's sister Yvonne."
"And now, after all of that, you expect us to let you take charge of the most important day in our lives? You beat everything, you know that? You put the 'ic' in 'pathetic'."
"Ouch! Borrowing insults from Steve Urkel; now that's low." Phil muttered, to light digs in his sides from both sides.
He could see the tears welling up inside her. He had her on the ropes, and he knew it, but he didn't care; just take it out of all the misery she'd inflicted on him over the years. Something within him told him he shouldn't be enjoying this, but he did. He knew that it was cruel, but was it any worse than what she'd done?
And now he wound up for the coup de grace. "Angelica, you're a bully. You alaways have been. We tried to get along with you, as if we had any choice. Tommy usually came to your defense, which he probably felt obligated to do as you're his cousin. But there's no defense for you. If you had the intention to prove to us just how bad you were, mission accomplished. You're a mean, cruel, invidious, odious, obstreperous, small-minded, megalomaniacal excuse for a human being. You're a monster, Angelica! You were hateful from the day we first met you, and it worked Angelica, it worked."
By now he was in her face. This would be the devastating finale. "Because I hate you, Angelica. Do you hear me? I! HATE! YOU!"
His work done, Chuck stepped back to the table, sunk into his seat, and drove his head down onto his crossed arms, where it stayed. The others looked at him, then at Angelica, their collective thoughts teeming with memories Chuck's indictment had stirred up. They had some pity for her, but not much.
It was all too much. Despite the front she put up most of the time, Angelica C. Pickles-McNulty did have feelings, & they now came full force down her face as she collapsed into Timmy's arms. Timmy would have fallen with his wife's weight suddenly thrust upon him, had Dil not put a chair under them at the critical moment. Time passed as Angelica --- under the withering glares of the others --- tried with her tears to atone for years of cruelty. Timmy said nothing; he just held her, patiently waiting as she cried out years of frustration.
If Timmy McNulty didn't know everything he'd found out about his wife during their now six year marriage, only his wedding vows to her would have kept him from turning his back on her --- although the vows would have been enough --- but he did know. He knew how she could hurt. He knew what she had told him in the private sanctuary of the marital bed. He'd heard her dream out loud of wanting to play with the others but being held back by her own prejudices about those younger than her. He knew of the troubles she'd had with her parents, who she had perceived as wanting her to win, to be on top, in all areas of life, no matter the cost. He'd been there for her when the rift had healed, when she'd found she'd been wrong about so much, about her parents, about her younger friends, & yes, about him.
For he also remembered when they had put their hostility for each other aside, & taught themselves & each other to look beyond what was on the surface. He could empathize with her, having been a bully himself. One a first-born & one an only child, they'd butted heads early & often in life; & when they had decided to give each other a chance, their similar bullying pasts & the psyches beneath same had stood them in good stead in knowing & being there for each other. As her jag subsided, he brought himself out of his reve to face her friends, who now wanted to kill her. Almost.
"Tommy, Chuckie, the rest of you, right now you are as angry with my wife as you have ever been in your lives, and I can see why you would be; but please, hear me out. I know Angelica, how kind she can be, how tender and vulnerable she is when you look under the surface. I also know what she was, a bully. I can understand what she's going through; I've been there myself. Remember my birthday party? The one where I shut out you girls because you were girls?" Lil & Susie nodded, remembering. "And that backfired, as I remember.
"See, I know what it is to be a bully. I know the mindset that goes with it. You see others so happy, so close with each other, & you want in on it. But for some reason, whether because they're younger or because any of them are different from you in any way, you find that you can't. So because you don't dare ask to be included, your stunted mind moves you to what you think is the only alternative: if you can't participate in the happiness of others, you'll just have to make sure that others aren't happy either. And so, the bully is born. I know that seems like such a crock now, but to the mind of one who is just barely out of diapers such things make so much sense, sometimes. And the more you want to be happy, the more frustrated you feel, so the more you hurt others.
"I can't answer for what she did to you guys 15 to 25 years ago --- I repeat, 15 to 25 years ago! --- but I do know what she really thinks about you."
"Timothy, no!" came a sad wail from the bundle in his arms.
"I'm sorry, babe. You wanted to tell them anyway, if you'll recall. And if you keep blowing your chances..." He stroked her cheek as a gesture of assurance with his free hand, then turned his attention to the others.
"Listen, I know so many things about her, things which I have no right to tell. But I can tell you she's always been so proud of you, even before your successes. And afterward, well.
"You might remember, she was always there. She was there in college. Your football games, Tommy. Dil's baseball games, Phil & Lil's performances, Kimi's track meets & field exercises, she was even in the theater whenever it was Susie's turn to operate. At the Olympics when Kimi & Dil won gold. And later, for Kimi's pro meets & Dil's minor league games. She was there for your law school graduation, Chuckie, & when you passed the bar & for Susie's medical school graduation. When Phil & Lil landed their show, she was there too. She was in the studio audience for the first few performances. She was there for all of these events, & more; I know, because I was there beside her.
"She keeps pictures of all of you in places of honor at home, & on her desk at the office. And wallet size in her billfold; she'll pull them out & show them to people at the drop of a hat. Do you remember she said somehow people always found out she was a Pickles? Who do you think told them? Ordinarily, she would have just dropped her maiden name; but she was so fond of you, Tommy, of all of you," as his hand swept the table, taking them all in, "that she wanted to keep alive some connection to her past, to you, no matter where we were or how far from you.
"And Chuckie, I know this is going to sound strange, but you were always her favorite. She actually had a crush on you, but if she couldn't handle being friends with people younger than her what do you think her mind was telling her about romance with a younger person? She always did have a weakness for redheads." as his hand went to his own hair. "But she couldn't even consider pursuing anything along those lines, so she took out her frustrations the only way she could. And because she felt more strongly toward you, her instincts fought back that much harder, so she was that much rougher on you.You ever hear that song, You Always Hurt the One You Love? It's sick, I know, but that's just the way the twisted mind of a bully works; believe me, I know from personal experience whereof I speak. You could be right about the gang needing therapy, Suze. I know she has needed quite a bit to help her come to terms with her feelings. But it's made her a better person than the Angelica all of you used to know. In fact, here's her card," he said as he pulled a business card out of his wallet.
The card made its way around the table to the resident medical expert, Susie. "Yes, I know her; she's the best."
"Feel free to make an appointment, any of you. If it will help we'd be willing to pay for the therapy; we can afford it --- not that you can't --- it would be a start toward healing the damage that she has caused. Please, listen to one who knows, a grudge only hurts those who hold it. You guys are better than this, better than she used to be.
"She told me about the club she invented, the paces she put you guys through with the intention of separating one of you from the others. And she told me about how you started your own club, Tommy, and let everyone join, even her. She told me about the business party she had, excluding you guys unless you met certain conditions. And after she threw you guys out, how lonely it was there all by herself. And so many other instances where she wanted to belong & took all sorts of perverted means to get it, or how you repaid her unkindness with kindness.
"Please," he gestured to his wife, now crumpled into a ball in his lap, almost fetal. "Look inside your hearts for the mercy that I know is there. It won't be easy, but it must happen, for all of your sakes as well as hers."
His defense done, Timmy looked around the table. Chuck's head was still down, but otherwise, he'd apparently carried the day. He half-smiled.
Then, with some difficulty, he rose, still holding his wife. "Come on babe," he whispered, "we'd better get home."
"You two have a place around here?" asked Tommy.
"It's for when we're in town. Equidistant between Drew & Charlotte's and the McNulty compound." And with that, he started to carry his bride toward the front where their car was waiting.
"Hey, Tim."
"Yes, Tom?"
"We will work this out."
"I know." Tim's gaze fell on Angelica again, noticing a semblance of peace only now starting to return to the face. "She's such a dear, even if she sometimes has too much spunk for her own good."
"I wouldn't mind a bit more spunk, dear." Angelica murmured to her husband, surprising all there; apparently, she was starting to feel better. Then when the meaning of her statement sunk in, reactions hit the group, ranging from shock to embarrassment to in Timmy's case a smile of love tinged with rakishness.
"We'll talk about this later, babe." Timmy whispered back, surreptitiously communicating his intent with a lick on the ear hidden by a hand, which sent Angelica into noticeable shivers.
And with that, he continued carrying her until they reached their rental car. He put her inside the passenger side seat, buckled her in, then walked around to the driver side & got in himself. Next stop for them, home, where they would recuperate from their ordeal, the one after the plane.
And that was an ordeal, wasn't it? I'm sorry if things were a bit heavy, but imo some things have to be dealt with. Don't worry; I'm writing this thing, so these things will be amicably resolved. And steps in that direction --- positive steps --- will be taken, in the next chapter, Discussions & Dreams In Darkness (hey, they can't ALL be winners). In the meantime I'd appreciate reviews, and I'll try not to take so long next time. I'm Nftnat, on e-mail I'm Nftnat@aol.com , and on IM I'm Nftnat . Please, feel free to contact me. Cya later.
I must warn y'all, though, that this will be intense. There are issues in the past with which I deal here. It ain't pretty. Oh, and there will be refs to dozens of episodes; if anyone wants I could post a list. Lemme know.
Reviews, reviews. Thank you, Kimmy Larisa. Yes, Dil showed up. He doesn't have much to do here, but I do have plans for Dil.
Thanks for the review, Nightw2. And you're welcome for finally updating, which I do again here.
And thank you, Pokejedservo. You do well to be intrigued. Of course I know that you're a Chuckie / Angelica shipper; I start to deal with that here. I'm thinking that Angelica had been seriously crushing on Chuckie from the get-go, but something inside herself short-circuited any efforts she might have made, causing things to go hideously awry. Imo the shy & sensitive Finster could very well have taken the many dishes of suffering dished out to him personally. Very personally. Kind of like a Helga & Arnold thing, if Helga was a year older than Arnold. But that's just me. Bear with me, though. They will work through this, and I have plans to resolve for a beautiful resolution. It won't result in pairing the two of them, though. For that I apologize.
Y'all, it goes without saying, but I say it anyway. Please read & review. Thank y'all.
It's a Wonderful Life was a Frank Capra film for Liberty Films (the only movie to come out of that studio).
Darkseid was created by Jack Kirby for DC Comics, a unit of AOL-TimeWarner.
The Grinch is a creation of Theodore Giesel, aka Dr. Suess.
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and the character Augustus Gloop were created by Roald Dahl.
Cinderella is an old folk tale to which the Walt Disney Corporation does not have all rights, although it's not from lack of effort on their part. They just have rights to their version of the story.
Steve Urkel is copyright Miller-Boyett Productions and Warner Brothers Domestic Television, a unit of AOL-TimeWarner.
The copyright on the Olympics is held by the International Olympic Committee, I think.
You Always Hurt the One You Love was written by Fisher & Roberts and has been recorded many many times by many many people including Charlie Barnet, Fats Domino, Connie Francis, Clarence 'Frogman' Henry, Earl Hines, Brenda Lee, and the Mills Brothers; it's what's known as a standard.
"So Angelica," began Tommy, "don't think we're not happy to see you --- because we're not --- but what are you doing here?"
"Yeah, shouldn't you be getting MergeCorp controlling interest in the E.U. about now?" put in Chuckie. As he said this, the expressions on the faces of four of the other five people at the table turned into something that could best be summarized as 'Huh?'
"It's been in the news and the financial sections, guys. MergeCorp is bordering on becoming a political entity; there's talk of it getting its own embassy, a seat in the U.N., & so on." Chuckie explained, then muttered to Timmy, "Someday these kids will learn there's more to reading material than Sports Inundated & Varie-T. And Bill-bored," he added, looking at Phil.
"You're exaggerating, Finster; we're not that powerful --- yet. And to answer your question, cousin, what do you think I'm doing here? Did you really think that my cousin, my best friend, & all of their closest friends --- who happen to comprise my innermost circle of friends --- would marry each other without me there having a say in the matter? No way! I'm here to give you guys the best wedding Planet Earth has ever seen!"
The ensuing silence was deafening, to the extent that Angelica was silenced, any additions she had thought to make to her monologue quite forgotten. A vague disquietude arose in the pit of her stomach. The heads around the table huddled for a conference; by the time they rose, Angelica was noticeably sweating.
"Um, Angelica," began Tommy, "what makes you think we want you planning our weddings?"
"WHAT?!?"
"What makes you think we want you involved with our weddings at all?" Lil added.
Already Angelica was quite distraught, & her psyche was deteriorating by the second. "But, but,..."
"You haven't exactly been nice to us over the years." came from Kimi.
"What are you guys talking about? Haven't I been a good friend to you through the years? Haven't I led you successfully through the path I had already trodden one or two years previously? Except for you, Susie. Haven't I been a friend and a mentor to you guys since you were babies?"
"Oh, don't go there, cousin." warned Tommy.
"You really don't want to start dragging out the garbage from our infancies." Chuckie said.
"What?!?! Name just one time I was really mean!"
"Hoo boy!" said Phil. It had begun.
"Someone want to pull up the database? Under 'Angelica, see also Torture, Cruelty, Bullying, Mental anguish...' " Susie began.
"What about the reunion, when you had me & the other cousins thinking we were going to leave with other parents?"
"What about when you had Phillip & me going against each other trying to find out which one was the favorite?"
"Or when you told us that Fluffy was going to eat our dad's tongue? Lillian was crying her eyes out!"
"And you'd always excuse it: 'It's not my fault they'll believe anything.' Well, you never hesitated to take advantage of their trusting natures, and then some. I remember the first time I saw you; you were in rare form with these guys. 'If I want something it's mine. If I want to hurt you I will. If I want...' "
"All right, I get the point already!" shouted Angelica.
"I remember when I started to act like you. Chuck was in tears & the others wanted nothing to do with me." was Kimi's contribution to the conversation.
"You always were especially mean to Chuck, Angelica." Tommy thought out loud. "Like that time you 'saved his life', so you made him be your slave."
"She did what?!?" Susie was outraged.
"Or that time you made him wear frilly panties, that he still doesn't want to talk about." Lil thought out loud, drawing a couple of curious looks.
"You guys still don't know the worst of it." Chuck whispered.
"What do you mean, Chuckaroo?" Tommy said, as everyone's attention now focused on the sad-faced redhead, including a now very nervous Angelica. He was silent, stirring concern in the others, especially Lil & Kim.
"Chuck, dear?"
"Big brother?"
Chuck finally spoke, so softly that the others had to stop everything they were doing to hear him. "Remember the time Dad's Latvian folk dance CD disappeared, & I blew up at the rest of you?"
"Oh, no!" whispered Angelica as her face drained of color, her eyes wide with terror.
"Yeah," recalled Tommy. "It turned out that Angelica took it, as I remember."
"Well, after the rest of you had left, Angelica told me that there were two kinds of people in the world: the kind that made things better, like her;" to a chorus of "HA!"s, "and the kind that gets in the way, like me." Audible gasps from the others, even Timmy. "She told me that there was nothing I could do about it, & that everyone would be much better off without me." Now the gasps bordered on cries of anger. "And it was only because of an 'It's a Wonderful Life' dream that I didn't run away from home that very day." By this time, Chuckie was in tears; and now no one had a kind word or look for the sour Pickles.
"You nearly drove my Chuckie away from us?"
"I almost didn't have a brother because of you?"
"When it was all your fault in the first place?"
"That's low even for you, cousin."
"These people are going to make some psychiatrist friends of mine a lot of money because of you, Angelica."
*WHAM!!* That was the sound of fists hitting the table, Chuck's fists. All attention was now riveted on him.
The preliminaries had concluded; it was time for the main event, time for the showdown. Time for the day of reckoning, Angelica's day of reckoning, and Chuck would exact it. All of his legal skills went into his address. Despite criminal prosecution not being his forte, he had had years to prepare this case.
"First of all, Angelica, I must say how proud I am. Of your husband, who has pulled off a miracle in overcoming your sweet teeth. Which probably meant he had to get you an entire new set."
"Hey!" Timmy wasn't certain what Chuck had meant by that, but he wasn't sure he liked it.
Chuck, momentarily apologetic, swung around to his fellow redhead. "I'm sorry, Timmy --- sorry because she's your wife --- but believe me, she's had this coming for a long, long time."
He then turned his wrath on she who had been the bane of his existence. The hurt that followed was the pent-up rage spawned from a million indignities and other unpleasantries over the years, a well-channelled tantrum from his inner child. This was his moment, for which he'd waited practically his entire lifetime, and he would not be denied.
"I remember the first time we ever met, Angelica." he began, his face flushed redder than usual. "Do you?"
No answer.
"Just about the first words out of your mouth were to scare me out of playing with Phil & Lil. Just like you talked Tommy out of playing with me, and the twins out of playing with him. From that came every other scheme you've ever hatched to separate us. Tommy vs. the rest of us. Lil vs. the rest of us. Me vs. the others. Phil vs. Lil. Tommy vs. Phil. Lil and me vs. Tommy and Phil. Ever since the very beginning, you wanted to cause trouble. You were trouble. You were... Phil?" Chuck interrupted himself. "What's the name of that guy in the comics? The one who fed off of the misery of others?"
Phil was glad to be able to answer him right away, and he did. "Um, you mean Darkseid?"
"Yeah, that's the one." He then returned his focus to Angelica. "That's who you're like. You're a female Darkseid, feeding off of our unhappiness. How else to explain it? Why else would you have wanted to set us against each other? Why else would you want us to be unhappy? Why else would you feel compelled to ruin every chance we ever had to have fun? That time with the box? You tried to take it away from us, it came apart, much to your delight. So we started playing with the pieces and you got angry. You took the pieces away from us, stomped on them, and shouted, 'STOP HAVING FUN!!!' And that wasn't the only time, not by a long shot. You've always been the grinch, you've always wanted to ruin the good times of others. You and your boundless capacity for hate.
"And greed, let's not forget that. Greed and gluttony. There's nothing you wouldn't have and didn't put us through to get more sweets for yourself. More candy, more cake, more cookies, especially cookies. No wonder you got diabetes in high school! Remember what I said to you at the confrontation? It still goes.
"I've been saving this." So saying, he opened his briefcase, and pulled out a piece of stiff paper, with which he hit the table. He then picked it up, and shoved it in her face, so to speak. "Remember this?"
Some of the others tried to get a good view of the paper. Kimi was the first to get a good enough look. "That looks like a nutrition chart."
"It is a nutrition chart." her brother returned. "And if you'll notice, most of the stuff is crossed out in crayon. All the meats, all the grains, dairy, fruits & vegetables, everything but junk food."
"What does it mean?" the doctor asked.
"That's obvious; in her childhood, she was on a crusade to restrict her diet to junk food." Chuck then swung his baleful gaze on the blonde yet again. "If she could have, she'd have had nothing but sweets all her life, and endless supplies of it. Another person she could be compared to is Augustus Gloop. Or am I the only one who's read Charlie & the Chocolate Factory?"
"We've all seen the movie, Chuck; we know who you're talking about." put in Phil.
The agent nodded acknowledgement before starting in again. "How many schemes did you come up with to get sweets for yourself, Angelica? The talking Spike scheme? The kidnapped Cynthia scheme? The fortune telling scheme? And how many times have you played sick or hurt to get more sweets?"
Then it was back to the others around the table. "That dream I told you guys about? I saw how she would have turned out. She was as big as a whale. She'd long since taken everything that was Tommy's including his parents. What happened to her own parents I don't know, maybe she ate them. I wouldn't put it past her. Anyway, she was in bed; only one part of her body was working, and guess which part."
"Her mouth?" came from his fiancee.
"Her mouth. It was constantly open and in motion. She was only doing two things, eating and screaming. And the junk food kept on coming, but it was never enough."
"Now that I think about it." Tommy remembered, "Dad did mention something in passing once. One time when she was staying over at our house? I don't remember the circumstances, but we thought her leg was broken, and then she was demanding, oh! she was demanding."
"So what's new?" several voices were heard in concert.
Tom continued. "It got to where Dad was making chocolate pudding for her at four in the morning because, as he put it, 'he'd lost control of his life'."
Chuck nodded. "That's just what I'm talking about. She never knew anything about kindness or compassion or caring for anyone but herself. Everyone exists for no reason other than to serve her. It's like she has to be the big boss, and we all have to be her slaves!
"And even that wasn't enough. It's not enough for her to use us, she had to abuse us too. Always pushing us, pulling our hair, hitting us, taking and / or breaking our stuff, generally making us miserable, laughing when she made us cry.
Now, yet again, he turned upon Angelica the full force of his fury. "Deny it if you can, Angelica! Every time someone had to go through something, you were always the first to take that knife and twist that thing, so to speak. Like when I went through potty training, or had chicken pox. Or when Tommy had to go get a shot. Or when I swallowed a watermelon seed. Or when I was afraid of sliding, or of dustbunnies, or of the car wash. Or before Dad & Mom met, how you tried to be a mother to me. Or your own twisted version, at least."
"I remember the sliding." Susie contributed. "You had him in tears, Angelica."
Chuck grimaced with that particular memory. "And just because I wasn't there at the time, don't think I haven't heard about what a comfort you were when Tommy got his first cut."
And now he really started in on her. "It's all about you, Angelica. It's always been about you, and no one else. Explain your actions any other way, if you can. Why did you break Tommy's clown lamp? Why did you hide my glasses? Why did you re-break the toys when Susie fixed them? Why did you try to get us to look and act sick? Why did you have us lie to Susie that time? Why did you play all those tricks and plant evidence so we'd blame Dil? Why did you try to turn Dil into a criminal, like you? Why did you give me the Cinderella treatment after Dad & Mom got married? Why did you trade Phil for some toy? Why did you tell me Tommy was going to replace me in the family? Why did you tell them I was an alien? Or that the sky was falling? Or that Dil disappeared into the computer? Or that the stars were falling? Or that I was allergic to Kimi? Or that Tommy would disappear if Dil got his old toys, and don't get me started on Susie's sister Yvonne."
"And now, after all of that, you expect us to let you take charge of the most important day in our lives? You beat everything, you know that? You put the 'ic' in 'pathetic'."
"Ouch! Borrowing insults from Steve Urkel; now that's low." Phil muttered, to light digs in his sides from both sides.
He could see the tears welling up inside her. He had her on the ropes, and he knew it, but he didn't care; just take it out of all the misery she'd inflicted on him over the years. Something within him told him he shouldn't be enjoying this, but he did. He knew that it was cruel, but was it any worse than what she'd done?
And now he wound up for the coup de grace. "Angelica, you're a bully. You alaways have been. We tried to get along with you, as if we had any choice. Tommy usually came to your defense, which he probably felt obligated to do as you're his cousin. But there's no defense for you. If you had the intention to prove to us just how bad you were, mission accomplished. You're a mean, cruel, invidious, odious, obstreperous, small-minded, megalomaniacal excuse for a human being. You're a monster, Angelica! You were hateful from the day we first met you, and it worked Angelica, it worked."
By now he was in her face. This would be the devastating finale. "Because I hate you, Angelica. Do you hear me? I! HATE! YOU!"
His work done, Chuck stepped back to the table, sunk into his seat, and drove his head down onto his crossed arms, where it stayed. The others looked at him, then at Angelica, their collective thoughts teeming with memories Chuck's indictment had stirred up. They had some pity for her, but not much.
It was all too much. Despite the front she put up most of the time, Angelica C. Pickles-McNulty did have feelings, & they now came full force down her face as she collapsed into Timmy's arms. Timmy would have fallen with his wife's weight suddenly thrust upon him, had Dil not put a chair under them at the critical moment. Time passed as Angelica --- under the withering glares of the others --- tried with her tears to atone for years of cruelty. Timmy said nothing; he just held her, patiently waiting as she cried out years of frustration.
If Timmy McNulty didn't know everything he'd found out about his wife during their now six year marriage, only his wedding vows to her would have kept him from turning his back on her --- although the vows would have been enough --- but he did know. He knew how she could hurt. He knew what she had told him in the private sanctuary of the marital bed. He'd heard her dream out loud of wanting to play with the others but being held back by her own prejudices about those younger than her. He knew of the troubles she'd had with her parents, who she had perceived as wanting her to win, to be on top, in all areas of life, no matter the cost. He'd been there for her when the rift had healed, when she'd found she'd been wrong about so much, about her parents, about her younger friends, & yes, about him.
For he also remembered when they had put their hostility for each other aside, & taught themselves & each other to look beyond what was on the surface. He could empathize with her, having been a bully himself. One a first-born & one an only child, they'd butted heads early & often in life; & when they had decided to give each other a chance, their similar bullying pasts & the psyches beneath same had stood them in good stead in knowing & being there for each other. As her jag subsided, he brought himself out of his reve to face her friends, who now wanted to kill her. Almost.
"Tommy, Chuckie, the rest of you, right now you are as angry with my wife as you have ever been in your lives, and I can see why you would be; but please, hear me out. I know Angelica, how kind she can be, how tender and vulnerable she is when you look under the surface. I also know what she was, a bully. I can understand what she's going through; I've been there myself. Remember my birthday party? The one where I shut out you girls because you were girls?" Lil & Susie nodded, remembering. "And that backfired, as I remember.
"See, I know what it is to be a bully. I know the mindset that goes with it. You see others so happy, so close with each other, & you want in on it. But for some reason, whether because they're younger or because any of them are different from you in any way, you find that you can't. So because you don't dare ask to be included, your stunted mind moves you to what you think is the only alternative: if you can't participate in the happiness of others, you'll just have to make sure that others aren't happy either. And so, the bully is born. I know that seems like such a crock now, but to the mind of one who is just barely out of diapers such things make so much sense, sometimes. And the more you want to be happy, the more frustrated you feel, so the more you hurt others.
"I can't answer for what she did to you guys 15 to 25 years ago --- I repeat, 15 to 25 years ago! --- but I do know what she really thinks about you."
"Timothy, no!" came a sad wail from the bundle in his arms.
"I'm sorry, babe. You wanted to tell them anyway, if you'll recall. And if you keep blowing your chances..." He stroked her cheek as a gesture of assurance with his free hand, then turned his attention to the others.
"Listen, I know so many things about her, things which I have no right to tell. But I can tell you she's always been so proud of you, even before your successes. And afterward, well.
"You might remember, she was always there. She was there in college. Your football games, Tommy. Dil's baseball games, Phil & Lil's performances, Kimi's track meets & field exercises, she was even in the theater whenever it was Susie's turn to operate. At the Olympics when Kimi & Dil won gold. And later, for Kimi's pro meets & Dil's minor league games. She was there for your law school graduation, Chuckie, & when you passed the bar & for Susie's medical school graduation. When Phil & Lil landed their show, she was there too. She was in the studio audience for the first few performances. She was there for all of these events, & more; I know, because I was there beside her.
"She keeps pictures of all of you in places of honor at home, & on her desk at the office. And wallet size in her billfold; she'll pull them out & show them to people at the drop of a hat. Do you remember she said somehow people always found out she was a Pickles? Who do you think told them? Ordinarily, she would have just dropped her maiden name; but she was so fond of you, Tommy, of all of you," as his hand swept the table, taking them all in, "that she wanted to keep alive some connection to her past, to you, no matter where we were or how far from you.
"And Chuckie, I know this is going to sound strange, but you were always her favorite. She actually had a crush on you, but if she couldn't handle being friends with people younger than her what do you think her mind was telling her about romance with a younger person? She always did have a weakness for redheads." as his hand went to his own hair. "But she couldn't even consider pursuing anything along those lines, so she took out her frustrations the only way she could. And because she felt more strongly toward you, her instincts fought back that much harder, so she was that much rougher on you.You ever hear that song, You Always Hurt the One You Love? It's sick, I know, but that's just the way the twisted mind of a bully works; believe me, I know from personal experience whereof I speak. You could be right about the gang needing therapy, Suze. I know she has needed quite a bit to help her come to terms with her feelings. But it's made her a better person than the Angelica all of you used to know. In fact, here's her card," he said as he pulled a business card out of his wallet.
The card made its way around the table to the resident medical expert, Susie. "Yes, I know her; she's the best."
"Feel free to make an appointment, any of you. If it will help we'd be willing to pay for the therapy; we can afford it --- not that you can't --- it would be a start toward healing the damage that she has caused. Please, listen to one who knows, a grudge only hurts those who hold it. You guys are better than this, better than she used to be.
"She told me about the club she invented, the paces she put you guys through with the intention of separating one of you from the others. And she told me about how you started your own club, Tommy, and let everyone join, even her. She told me about the business party she had, excluding you guys unless you met certain conditions. And after she threw you guys out, how lonely it was there all by herself. And so many other instances where she wanted to belong & took all sorts of perverted means to get it, or how you repaid her unkindness with kindness.
"Please," he gestured to his wife, now crumpled into a ball in his lap, almost fetal. "Look inside your hearts for the mercy that I know is there. It won't be easy, but it must happen, for all of your sakes as well as hers."
His defense done, Timmy looked around the table. Chuck's head was still down, but otherwise, he'd apparently carried the day. He half-smiled.
Then, with some difficulty, he rose, still holding his wife. "Come on babe," he whispered, "we'd better get home."
"You two have a place around here?" asked Tommy.
"It's for when we're in town. Equidistant between Drew & Charlotte's and the McNulty compound." And with that, he started to carry his bride toward the front where their car was waiting.
"Hey, Tim."
"Yes, Tom?"
"We will work this out."
"I know." Tim's gaze fell on Angelica again, noticing a semblance of peace only now starting to return to the face. "She's such a dear, even if she sometimes has too much spunk for her own good."
"I wouldn't mind a bit more spunk, dear." Angelica murmured to her husband, surprising all there; apparently, she was starting to feel better. Then when the meaning of her statement sunk in, reactions hit the group, ranging from shock to embarrassment to in Timmy's case a smile of love tinged with rakishness.
"We'll talk about this later, babe." Timmy whispered back, surreptitiously communicating his intent with a lick on the ear hidden by a hand, which sent Angelica into noticeable shivers.
And with that, he continued carrying her until they reached their rental car. He put her inside the passenger side seat, buckled her in, then walked around to the driver side & got in himself. Next stop for them, home, where they would recuperate from their ordeal, the one after the plane.
And that was an ordeal, wasn't it? I'm sorry if things were a bit heavy, but imo some things have to be dealt with. Don't worry; I'm writing this thing, so these things will be amicably resolved. And steps in that direction --- positive steps --- will be taken, in the next chapter, Discussions & Dreams In Darkness (hey, they can't ALL be winners). In the meantime I'd appreciate reviews, and I'll try not to take so long next time. I'm Nftnat, on e-mail I'm Nftnat@aol.com , and on IM I'm Nftnat . Please, feel free to contact me. Cya later.