Disclaimer: Not one of the CBTD characters belong to me. Nonetheless, I do own Joshua, Fern, Mr. Puceton, etc.

A/N: This fanfic is turning out to be a long series I guess, cos' I just didn't have the heart to end this fic just there. So, there'll be more chapters and more twists and plots coming your way so check it out!

Rating: PG-13. Contains some acts of violence: e.g., chucking small objects to people's heads. Other than that, this story is harmless.

Reviewers: AT first, I did not even expect anyone to even read this story cos' I'm an amateur at writing fics and this is my first try at writing one. But, now, at the eleventh chapter, thanks to all your reviews, I'm geared up to write up to fifty chapters if I feel up to due to your kind feedback and encouragement. Thanks a billion to those reading this! Without you guys, I doubt this fic would have even taken off from the first chapter. ",

Points to note about this fic: I made Jake and Sarah to be about the same age, which is thirteen years old. Somehow, in the movie, I didn't accept that Sarah was older than Jake because Jake looks so much older than her and taller. I guess, Girls do mature faster than boys, and they wanted to make Sarah the chief troublemaker in the Baker family, so that's why they probably made her older I think. But they're not twins, although compared to the rest of the cast members, they tend to look the most sibling like due to the same hair and facial appearance.

The Split of the Dozen

By avren

11 Suspicion

Bakers residences

"We're home, get out quick," Kate ordered as she braked onto the driveway of their Evanston five storey house.

Mark, Mike, Kyle, Nigel, Kim and Jessica hopped off from the car and ran inside the house. She noticed that Nora's car was already in the driveway.

So Tom and Nora's already home then, she thought to herself as she switched off the ignition and got out from the Hummer. She grabbed the twins' bags and the tubs of ice cream from the front seat and slammed the door shut and headed inside.

As she moved towards the living room, Nora came out from the kitchen and headed towards her.

"Hey Mom," Nora smiled and gave her a peck on the cheeks.

"Hey Nora. So, did you pick up the groceries like I told you to?" She asked, putting down the twin's bags on the bureau and they headed towards the kitchen.

"Yup, I did. They're in the kitchen but I've already put them in the cabinet," Nora replied.

"Thanks Hun," Kate said.

"No problem Mom, it's the least I could do." Nora smiled at her, and they pushed through the kitchen doors and went inside. Kate immediately headed to the freezer to put the tubs of ice cream and closed the door shut.

"So, is your Dad upstairs?" Kate asked, moving towards the stove and started stirring the stew that Nora had earlier prepared. "Hmm..Smells good," she added.

Nora beamed at her. "Well, I learned from the best," she grinned back. "Oh, and Dad's not upstairs, actually, he's not even back yet."

"He's not?" Kate frowned, stopping her stirring for a while and turned to look at Nora.

"Oh, he told me he had to meet a friend after work and he called just now to say that he won't be home in time for dinner too." She explained and went to wash her hands.

Kate stood there for a moment to ponder on the figure that she saw earlier in the Italian restaurant and suddenly piped up.

"Did he say who he was going to meet? Or where he went?" She asked curiously.

"Nope. " she stated, " He just told me to go home first and he'll go home by himself." Nora looked at her Mom's frown and said, "Oh, don't worry Mom, he's probably just meeting an old friend or something," she assured her.

Kate shook the thoughts in her head away and said, "You're probably right. I'm just curious that's all," she smiled and continued stirring the stew.

"Well, Mom, I'm going up to change first, so do you mind watching the stew while I'm gone?" Nora asked, wiping her hands with the dishtowel and looked at her Mom.

"Sure, no problem honey. You go on upstairs and change. I'll finish it up here." she urged Nora but added, "But tell some of your siblings to set the table."

"Oh, Jake and Sarah already did that," Nora remarked turned to leave. However, she paused in her steps as she remembered something. "Oh yeah, Mom, Charlie brought a friend over and she's probably staying over for dinner. Do you want me to set another place for her?" She asked.

"Really? Who's she?" Kate asked.

"I'm not so sure. Someone named Fern. That's what Jake and Sarah told me." She shrugged. "Ok, I'm going to change first. See you at dinner," Nora turned and left the kitchen and headed upstairs to her room.

Kate continued with the cooking just as Sarah and Jake entered the kitchen from the other door leading towards the dining room.

"Hey Mom," they chimed together and Sarah hopped on a kitchen stool while Jake leaned against the marble kitchen top.

"We've set the table," Sarah declared as she plucked a piece of grape from the bunch on the table.

"Thanks for the help both of you," she smiled gratefully at them.

Jake glanced at Sarah and they exchanged weird expressions. Kate noticed it and raised an eyebrow.

"What's up with you two?" she questioned, looking at them with narrowed eyes.

"Nothing." they quickly denied and looked away from her curious eyes.

Kate stood there with hands akimbo and prodded further.

"Is there anything you want to tell me?" she asked.

"Nope. Nothing at all, " Sarah affirmed.

But then, they suddenly remembered about Fern and in synchronized, they spoke.

"Fern's here!" They looked at each other and Sarah reacted first.

"Jinx! You owe me a coke!" she tapped Jake's shoulder and grinned at him.

Jake groaned at his slowness in reacting and grumbled.

"Aww..That's not fair." he whined. Kate shook her head at the antics of her two thirteen year olds.

"Who said anything's fair? You still owe me a coke," Sarah said, looking smug and grinned triumphantly to her.

Kate interrupted before any bickering happen. "Alright, I know about Fern's presence already. Nora has told me earlier."

They just shrugged in response.

"So, anything else you wanted to tell me?" She brought back the subject of their curious exchange earlier.

"NOpe, that's about it," Jake denied and turned to leave the kitchen without waiting for Sarah.

Sarah watched his retreating back and muttered, "Sour grape!"

"I heard that!" Jake's voice rang from behind the door but he did not come back into the kitchen. Sarah just chuckled to herself and plucked off another grape and popped it into her mouth.

"So Sarah, what do you know about Fern?" Kate asked, shifting towards the sink to wash the vegetables. "Oh, and can you help me stir the stew please?"

Sarah obliged and moved towards the stove where a pot of red chicken stew was simmering and stirred it.

"Not much," she answered, " Just that she's Charlie's Chemistry lab partner and she's here to tutor him for a makeup test."

Kate finished washing the vegetables and proceeded to chop it. " SO how does she look like?" she asked, inquisitive.

"Oh, Mom, don't worry, you'll see her for yourself. She'll be staying over for dinner, remember?" Sarah reminded her. "You'll get to judge her when she comes down."

Kate laughed lightly to herself. "Right. I'm just curious that's all. Charlie has never brought a friend home and this is the first time he did, and it's a girl. A mother is bound to be curious," she explained herself to Sarah.

Sarah chuckled back. "Yeah, well, that explains it then."

"And I'm sure I'll be more curious when you decide to bring a guy friend home," Kate added on, raising an eyebrow suggestively at her.

Sarah reacted indifferently. "Mom, what are you hinting at?" she asked, eyebrows raised, copying her mom's expression.

"I'm sure my pretty thirteen year old would have some admirers in school no?" Kate winked.

Sarah snorted. "Hah, yeah right. Firstly, I'm not pretty. Lorraine can vouch that for me. And secondly, " she ticked off on her fingers, " I wouldn't want any admirers, even if there is which I doubt there's any. "

"Oh Sarah, don't put yourself down like that," Kate consoled her, stopping her chopping for a moment to put them in a huge bowl.

"Mom, I'm not putting down myself. And honestly, I don't care. So can we end this subject please?" Sarah pleaded, switching off the fire on the stove.

"Alright, I'll change the subject." Kate conceded.

"Good. How on earth did the subject of Fern turn to one about me anyway? Sheesh," Sarah rolled her eyes to herself and turned to her mother. "So, do you want me to pour this stew into the bowl or what?" She asked, pointing to the stew with the ladle.

"Oh, that's alright. I'll do that. I just want you to call your brother's and sisters down. Oh, and did you set a place for Dad?" Kate asked.

"Yup, as always. Why?" Sarah asked.

"Well, since Fern's joining us, she'll sit at Dad's spot." Kate answered, picking up the wooden spoon and started tossing the salad, occasionally adding a pinch of salt and some seasoning to it.

Sarah frowned. "What about Dad? Isn't he coming home for dinner?"

"Oh, he won't make it. Nora said he called earlier saying that he won't be back for dinner. He's meeting a friend of his, so he'll probably have dinner outside." She finished tossing the salad and wiped her hands on the dishtowel.

Sarah thought to herself. Well that's a first. He hasn't skipped dinner before, well, ever since he quit his job as the Stallions head coach. She did not hear her Mom calling her name as her thoughts wandered off, thinking about her dad.

"Sarah?" Kate called but she did not hear her. Sarah was immersed in her thoughts and was oblivious to her mom's calls. "SARAH!" Kate shouted, snapping Sarah out of her thoughts as she jumped in surprise.

"Wha-" Sarah started and turned to her mother.

"Sarah honey, are you okay?" Kate asked, concerned.

"Oh, I'm fine Mom. I'm just.... thinking about some stuff. No biggie," she reassured her.

"Well, you kinda blanked out just now. Anyway, I was saying, could you call the rest down for dinner? And tell Lorraine to come and help me here in the kitchen. Thanks dear," Kate said, ushering Sarah out of the kitchen.

"Ai ai Captain!" Sarah saluted and grinned as she was being shepherded out of the kitchen.

Sarah quickly run upstairs and headed first to Lorraine's room. The door was closed so she immediately grabbed the doorknob and turned it open. Lorraine was sitting on her bed, headphones blaring as she flipped through this month's of Teens magazine. Lorraine looked up just as Sarah barged open the door.

"Don't you ever knock?" She hissed, switching of the CD player and threw aside the magazine on her bed.

Sarah rolled her eyes at her and simply replied. "Why bother? Since you won't be able to hear me with that boom box on your ears, I just thought I'd let myself in and announce my presence. Saves time, saves energy, and a whole lotta fun seeing you getting all riled up." She smiled smugly.

Lorraine seethed at her. "So what do you want butch?" She snapped and added. "Besides invading my privacy, that is."

"Mom wants you in the kitchen, princess," Sarah leered; rolling her eyes in sarcasm and quickly left the room, leaving Lorraine grumbling in exasperation.

Sarah walked past Charlie's room, shouting, "Dinner's ready! ", not bothering to look at what the two of them was doing in Charlie's room.

She bounded off towards her room and suddenly halted in the doorway when she saw that her room has been invaded by a mob of kiddies. Well actually, her brothers and sisters.

"What are you guys doing in my room?" She asked, raising an eyebrow, moving into her room where Henry, Mike, Mark, Kim, Jessica and the twins were gathered all around. Jake was hidden from view.

"I called them up here," Jake spoke up from atop Sarah's dresser.

"What are you doing, sitting on top of my dresser? Get off it!" She ordered, grabbing his arm and pulling him off the dresser.

"Alright, fine. Anyway," He started, "I called them here to discuss about the thing." He hinted.

Sarah frowned. "The thing? What thing?"

Jake let out an exasperated cry. "Urgh! You know, Dad's thing," he looked with his eyebrows scrunched together, indicating about the affair.

"Oh," Sarah said, finally getting the point, "That thing." She nodded in understanding.

The rest of the faces in the rooms wore identical expressions, save for Mike, who knew what they were talking about.

Kim spoke up. "Could you two be any more vague? We so get what you were talking about," she remarked sarcastically.

"Opps, sorry," Jake apologized, "We'd better start from the beginning." He looked at Sarah.

"Now, you're talking sense," Henry commented.

"Well, it started when- " Sarah began to explain but was interrupted by her mom's call from below.

"Sarah! Why aren't you guys down yet? Call them down now!" Kate's voice rang from the dining room.

"Urgh! Just when things started to get interesting," Mark sighed.

"Oh, tell you what. Let's just go down for dinner now and afterwards, we'll meet here back in my room. Straight after dinner, got it?" Sarah instructed. Jake remembered something.

"Oh, no can do Sarah. We both got punishments remember? And after dinner is homework hour," he reminded her.

"Oh yeah, shucks. I forgot." She smacked her forehead lightly.

"Well, we'll meet after homework hour then? Remember, you promised to tell us everything and if you break your promise, we'll spill to Mom and Dad about you-know-what, "Jessica threatened.

"What's you-know-what ?" Kyle asked, looking expectantly at Jessica, who turned to look at Sarah and Jake. All the other eyes in the room followed them.

"Oh we'll tell you later. Hurry! They're already waiting for us downstairs!" Sarah urged, ushering them out of her room and downstairs towards the dining room.

Once downstairs, they quickly seated at their respective seats and it was the beginning of an interesting dinner.

TBC

AN: I don't know whether the chapters are getting shorter and shorter cos' my Microsoft Words have gone haywire and I can't check the word count. So, I'm just writing them scene-by-scene, regardless of how short they are. I'm writing this story on a day-to-day basis, so, it tends to get dreggy and a bit boring but do bear with me. Anyway, for those who are reading my fic, thanks again for the reviews and taking the time to even follow this story as I slowly choke up one chapter after another.