Disclaimer: I don't own 7th Heaven.

No Room in the Inn

"Dad? Dad, are you there? It's us," Mary knocked softly on her father's bedroom door. At least she thought it was softly. She really couldn't tell though. Spending the last few hours in the same house as Kylie had made her somewhat deaf in at least one of her ears.

Waking from a sound sleep, due to the pounding on his door, Eric groggily told Mary it was OK to come in- an action he immediately regretted.

Mary rushed in, dragging her husband and two small children behind her.

"We have no place to sleep," she rambled at an abnormally fast speed, "There's no room in Matt's 'Hello Kitty Paradise', Simon and Cecilia laughed when we asked to stay in there, not that I want to be with that crying kid, anyway. Lucy stole the only extra bed in Ruthie's room. Why'd you have to take mine out? We were gonna sleep on the sofa bed, but the Colonel's already staked his claim on that territory and we can't contradict him…"

"You're his favorite," Eric cut his daughter off. He could feel a headache coming on.

"Am not!" Mary protested.

"Are, too. Go away. Contradict," Eric mumbled, rolling back over in bed. He threw a pillow over his head to try and drown a still whining Mary.

"But, Dad, can't you just sleep down there? We can take yours and Mom's bed. You'll be very comfortable on the other!"

Eric sat up and stared at her. She had that innocent puppy-dog pout on her face. His resolve was weakening. But his bed was so comfortable and the couch was so hard and lumpy and so… right next to the Colonel. It could possibly mean his death if he went down there.

"Please, Sir, for the children."

Carlos just had to throw in his polite self. It was like the cherry on top of the chocolate sundaes Eric wasn't supposed to have because of his heart. There was no way he could resist that plus Mary's dear little face begging for compassion. He was fighting a losing battle. Why'd he have to let them in? It wouldn't have hurt to let them keep pounding on his door. So what if he wouldn't have gotten any sleep, at least he would've been safely away from ….. HIM.

"Luce. Lucy, honey, wake-up," Kevin gently nudged his wife's sleeping form. He had to tread delicately on this ground. Lucy could be fairly cranky when she was waked from a peaceful night's sleep. And after a hard day of work, Kevin really didn't want, nor have a need, to deal with her temper.

"Huh?"

So far, so good. She didn't seem too upset. "Your Grandpa called me. He said we're staying over here. I came as soon as I got off work. What's wrong? What happened downstairs?"

"Nothing," Lucy answered, still surprisingly calm. Now this should've set off some kind of alarm in Kevin's head, but it didn't. However, he did have that hard day at work. That must have him not thinking straight and not running as far away from this house and his strangely behaving wife as is humanly possible.

Lucy continued on, oblivious to the weird grin that was gracing Kevin's features. Poor guy thought he'd won and wouldn't have to face 'The Dreaded Wrath of Lucy Camden Kinkirk'. Oh, how wrong he was.

"The Colonel won't let me leave. He says I need to help clean up and he thinks I won't come back tomorrow. Which, by the way, are you working?" Lucy asked sweetly.

"Tomorrow, no."

"Good. Then, he won't let you leave either. You can help."

So, that was her devious plan, Kevin thought. No wonder she didn't yell at me. I guess cleaning Mom and Dad's house is a small price to pay for not being yelled at. "No problem," he replied, smirking.

Trying to climb into Lucy's tiny one-person bed with her, Kevin found the task impossible. "We don't fit," he complained.

Big mistake. His poor brain still wasn't working. And, now Lucy was mad. She'd tried to be patient; she was nice when she told him he had to help everyone clean, but now he was keeping her from her beloved beauty rest. And so the wrath ensues.

"You think," she cried angrily, throwing her extra pillow onto the ground. "Get down there," Lucy said, pointing to the floor.

This is the point where Kevin should've shut up. I repeat, should've.

"On the hard floor?"

Lucy glared at him, "Yes! All the other beds in the house are taken!"

Kevin flinched at the tone of her voice. But, he knew it would all blow over by morning. So, he continued. "Couch?"

"Colonel!"

"Our old garage apartment?"

"We took the bed with us when we moved, but if you want to sleep on wood in a cold garage, be my guest."

"What about..."

"SHUT UP!" Ruthie yelled, surprising the wrath right out of Lucy and the brainless persistence out of Kevin. "I am trying to sleep here." She tossed a blanket and pillow toward Kevin. It hit him square on the face. Considering she was all the way across the room, it was a pretty good hit. Perhaps, she should take up some kind of sport like Mary was always telling her to. But right now she had other things to take care of. She'd think about her athletic abilities some other time. "There," she said, rather loudly, referring to the materials she had just thrown. "Goodnight!"

"RUTHIE!" the whole household screamed, having enough of all the shouting that was coming from the attic suite.

"Great, get me in trouble," she shouted at Lucy. And Kevin, who was currently out of sorts. He'd just faced the wrath of Lucy and now he was facing Ruthie's. Tonight was turning out very badly.

Stumbling down the stairs, Eric could be heard muttering, "Not fair. I can't believe I gave in. Dumb politeness."

He made it to the living room and lay down on the couch with a "Humph."

"Goodnight, son," the Colonel said.

Eric mumbled incoherently.

"Speak up, my boy."

Eric mumbled again and the Colonel made out the word 'Goodnight'.

"See you in the morning. Got to get up bright and early, you know. Lot's of work to do."

Eric, however, did not hear his father, for he was already fast asleep.