Chapter 26

"I want that!" Kimi pointed to a shirt ona rack. "And that! And that! And that! Oh, and that!"

"Double that order." Angelica smiled.

"Triple." Susie smiled.

"Not a problem." Lil smiled. "That'll be four hundred dollars from each of you."

"Uh." Kimi looked at her odd. "I thought we were getting free stuff."

"You can have free stuff." Lil smiled. "But not stuff that costs four hundred dollars. I'm not giving you all twelve hundred dollars, total,woth of clothes for free. But you can have this cap." Lil showed them a cap with the Nazi sign on it.

"Uhhh." Kimi, Angelica, and Susie looked at it and shook their heads.

"Sorry guys." Lil frowned. "It's just, I'm an important business woman now. I can't waste money. I'm rich now."

"Now you're gonna act like Angelica?" Kimi asked.

"Hey." Angelica glared at Kimi.

"Sorry." Kimi said the went back to Lil. "Lillian, you said you were going to help us by giving free stuff. And maybe a job too?"

"Are you all three unemployed?" Lil asked.

"Yes." they all three nodded.

"Seriously." Lil shook her head. "We're the girls. We're supposed to be the ones with money."

"I know." Angelica sighed. "But now you're the wealthy one."

"Fine." Lil rolled her eyes.

"Let's see." Tommy was looking ata list. "Phil, Kimi, Dil, Susie, and Angelica. That seems right."

"Whatcha doing?" Dil walked into the diner and walked over to Tommy.

"Making a list of who all's unemployed." Tommy grinned. "It appears that Lil, Chuckie, and I are the only ones with jobs."

"Nope." Dil shook his head. "I just got a job."

"What job?"

"Intern." Dil smiled

"Intern?" Tommy looked at him odd. "You do know that's an non-paying job, right?"

"Yep." Dil nodded. "But when I become a professional doctor, you'll be sorry."

"I got a good job, Dil." Tommy said innocently.

Dil chuckled, "Yeah, playwright." He then laughed and left.

"Jerk." Tommy mumbled as Dil left and Lil walked in. "Hi." he smiled giving her a peck on the lips but she didn't seem to enjoy it.

"Not now." she said.

"Sorry." Tommy rolled his eyes.

"I'm in quite a pickle here." Lil said.

Tommy covered his mouth with his hand and chuckled. "Pickle."

"What?" Lil asked angrily. "What is it?"

"You said you're in a pickle and our last name is-" Tommy then saw Lil glaring at him. "Uh, nothing."

"Kimi, Angelica, and Susie expect me to get them free stuff now that I own the company." Lil sighed. "But I can't afford giving up twelve hundred dollars worth of clothes."

"T-Tw-Twelve hundred dollars worth of clothes?" Tommy asked stuttering.

"Yes." Lil nodded.

"Oh my God." Tommy smiled. "And that's just a little bit of what you make."

"I make about that much each day." Lil grinned.

Tommy had a big smile on his face. "Oh yeah." he nodded.

"Tommy, I made about that much a month at my last job." Lil shrugged.

"That was a month." Tommy smiled. "This is a day. We're friggin' rich!"

"Tommy," Lil chuckled, "I hate to break this to you, but most of the money has to go toward the company and the bills."

"Well, how much can I have?" Tommy asked.

"Jesus, Tommy, get a job." Lil rolled her eyes. "I don't want you at home being a house husband while I bring in the money."

"Well," Tommy started, "What do you want me to do? I'm making money. Not that much, but I am making money."

"What? Selling those plays?" Lil smirked. "That makes about, what? Five bucks a year?"

"For your information, I get about five thousand for each play I write." Tommy glared at her.

"So you've sold how many plays?" Lil asked. "Zero?"

"Four." Tommy glared at her again. "Plus, I'm trying to be a director again."

"Tommy," Lil sat down. "I know that's your dream, but so far, the only official thing you've evercreated was that soap, and that never did too well. Trevor made it even worse."

"Lil, what is your problem?" Tommy stood up.

"Nothing."

"Why can't you except that I'm trying. I'm making money, Lillian. I am doing my share of work in this family."

"I know."

"Apperantly, you don't, Lil!" Tommy shouted storming out of the diner and Lil watched him go. Doug then walked up to Lil.

"Problems?" he asked setting a cup of coffee next to her.

"What?" she was startled by him. "Oh, Doug. Hi."

"What's Tommy's deal?" Doug asked as if he was concerned.

"Um, I don't know." she shook her head. "I started it. I made him feel bad because I said he has a dead-end job and doesn't make money."

Doug then moved closer to Lil and whispered, "I make money."

Lil got up and moved away from him. "Okaay." she then left.

"Angelica." Angelica said to Mikey's face. "Say it. Say Angelica. Angelica!"

Lil then walked into Angelica's apartment. "Hi."

"Hey." Angelica smiled as Lil picked Mikey up. "I've been trying to teach him to talk."

"What words?"

"Angelica." she replied.

"Oh." Lil looked at her odd. "Okay, I'm going to go."

"Hold it." Angelica slammed the door and forced Lil to sit on the couch. Angelica picked Mikey up and put him on the floor next to a teddy bear which he began to play with. She then sat down next to Lil. "What did that bastard of a husband do to you?"

"N-Nothing." Lil shrugged.

"Don't play dumb with me." Angelica glared at her. "I am Angelica C. Pickles."

Lil frowned and said, "I hurt Tommy's feelings. It's my fault."

"Sure, sure." Angelica crossed her arms.

"I told him that he doesn't bring any money home and that he is just the house husband." Lil sighed.

"Well he is." Angelica chuckled. "He's got no job worth having. He takes care of Mikey all day."

"Angelica," Lil glared at her.

"What?" Angelica shrugged. "I'm sorry, Lil. But-"

"No buts." Lil shook her head. "None of this is his fault." Lil said then left. A moment later, she ran back in and grabbed Mikey.

"You really suck at this." Angelica chuckled.

"Tell me about it." Lil nodded walking out with Mikey in her hands now.

"Now, Dylan," a doctor said as he operated on a cut open guy. "You wanna be sure not to touch that."

"Check." Dil nodded closely observing the doctors operate. "What about that thing?"

"That's the heart, son." the doctor said. "Don't touch that unless you're operating on it."

"What exactly are you operating on?" Dil asked.

"Dylan, have you not been paying attention at all?" the doctor asked.

"No." Dil shook his head.

Lil slowly walked into their apartment and sat Mikey in his play pen. She looked around to find Tommy then noticed the bathroom door closed. She heard it flush and Tommy walked out and stared at her.

"Tommy," she said, "Are you mad?"

"Does a bear shit in the woods?" Tommy snapped walking towards the door.

"Tommy!" Lil yelled. Tommy swung around and Lil began to cry. "I am so sorry."

"Lil, I-"

"Tommy I didn't mean anything." Lil said. "I just wanted to let you know that the money I make isn't for you to spend on, uh, novelties."

"No, I'm sorry Lil." Tommy walked over to her and smiled. "I over-no! I didn't over react!"

"Tommy." Lil sighed and crossed her arms, the crying stopping immediately.

"You called me a house husband!"

"Tommy."

"Don't make money? I make alot!"

"Tommy."

"So you want me to get a job? I got one, sister!"

"Tommy!"

"Yes?"

"Enough." Lil smiled.

"Sorry." Tommy grinned. "Just trying to make a scene." Tommy then walked over to Lil and passionately kissed her. Lil broke the kiss looking to the side and saw Mikey staring at them.

"Tommy." she chucked. Tommy turned and looked at Mikey and smiled.

"Come on, bud." Tommy walked over to Mikey and picked him up. "I got something for ya."

"What?" Lil asked.

"For Mikey." Tommy said. "Not you." Tommy laughed and walked into their room and Lil followed. Tommy sat him on the bed then began to dig in his closet and soon pulled out a plastic screwdriver.

"You're giving him your screwdriver?" Lil asked. "That's so sweet, T."

Tommy smiled and gave the screwdriver to Mikey. "It's your's now, Mike."

The next morning...

"Hey." Chuckie, holding Frederick,walked into Tommy's apartment to see him reading the newspaper.

"Hey." Tommy turned from the paper. "What's up?"

"So you and Lil made up?" Chuckie asked putting Frederick in the playpen with Mikey.

"Yeah." Tommy nodded.

"Hey can you watch Frederick for a while?" Chuckie asked.

"Sure." Tommy nodded. "Why?"

"My regular baby sitter isn't available while I gotta go to work." Chuckie said.

"Who is your regular baby sitter?"

"Actually," Chuckie said, "I have several. This woman named Tonya something. Tonya, uh, I don't know. Tonya. Um, Angelica, Susie, and Kimi."

"So all the girls?" Tommy asked. "Except Lil. Why not Lil? What's your problem with Lil?"

"Nothing." Chuckie shrugged. "But she has a child too so I figured she has her hands full."

"Oh yeah." Tommy nodded. "Okay. I'll watch him."

"Thanks T." Chuckie smiled. "I'll be back as soon as I can." Chuckie then left.

"Okay guys, I'm gonna go pee then we'll have some fun." Tommy smiled to Mikey and Frederick who just stared at him. "You can't understand me." he sighed and walked towards the bathroom.

A few minutes later, he walked out. "Woa. That was like a fountain." he chuckled then gasped. The playpen was open and both kids were gone. "Ah crap. I knew I shouldn't have given him that screwdriver."