This chapter had to be reworked based on the last chapter, which took it a bit of time to put together. Not as long though but more on what to do for Sonia and Lee's part. They were supposed to be in the chapter after this but ended up in this part. So brain farts all around lol. Edited to include a kid that I forgot to add. Enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think!
Kuki just nodded happily before climbing into Tommy's time machine. Which by the way was huge on the inside! It was like that technology that they would use in their clothes for lots of pocket space. The others followed her on timidly. Including the future kids which was wonderful. Hunter, Terrence, Adi, and Charlie would be with them.
She grabbed at Adi's arm to stand with her. Tommy had put dates in for a recent period just to start out. The intention was to prove that they could travel in time. He had explained that they wouldn't exactly be getting out but using the cameras or peering out the door. That way they couldn't get lost and not be able to find each other. Or it needed to be charged.
Then they were off intending to stop on a certain date before realizing it was a day earlier. Nevertheless, sector V, 362, (most of) sector W, and the four future kids watched from the camera or peering out the door.
Father's living room was set like a stage. Charlie and another boy sitting on the couch arms folded and glared at him. Maggie was nowhere to be seen but they could hear the water running from somewhere nearby.
"This is so dumb, I don't know why we can't be in charge of him," said Charlie to his brother loud enough so Father could hear.
"Hey, don't think I'm actually looking forward to this," said Father.
With that Father sat down and turned on the TV, The Bold and the Beautiful was on as it had been the entire morning. The boys glanced at each other before Charlie stood up. He didn't really care what they were going to do.
That is until Charlie grabbed the remote and changed the channel. Next thing he knew BBC America was playing James Bond on the television.
"Hey, give me that," said Father grabbing it from him. Next thing he knew that it was a tug of war with the eleven-year-old. The other boy didn't even look up from paperwork scattered around him.
With the battle for the remote underway Father felt his body warm up with his suit barreling straight to him. He had the upper hand before he burst into flame hoping that would scare them off. That didn't seem to work however as Charlie kicked him in the stomach. Oh before stumbling back some.
"You give that back," he yelled before Charlie just blew him a raspberry and laughed some.
"You've been hogging the TV all morning it's our turn," he said defiantly. True he may have been watching in the morning while everyone was busy doing other things, but he wasn't in the last hour. Angry at how a child was getting the better of him he threw a fireball in his direction. Charlie had ducked and made a face at him.
"That is it!" he called before he could feel the sting on the back of the head. He crumbled slightly under the pressure and turned to see Maggie? Holding a pot in her hand and had grabbed the remote herself. Oh no. None of them wanted to endure the period dramas she enjoyed all day.
Before either could stop her the entire house just went on lock down. The room turned black before glowing an eerie red color before a siren went off outside. Great. That was the sign that he might be coming out the retirement and the nearest sector was to come and handle him. It was something that the KND had installed when he stopped giving a crap anymore.
"NO!" screamed the other boy his papers flying everywhere. "I have to get to moonbase in twenty minutes! Charlie!"
"I didn't do anything! He was the one that was hogging the remote," said Charlie looking at his brother.
"Sector V isn't going to be here for another two hours. They're handling something for me at the alamode."
That meant that it was just the four of them. Frustrated Will slammed his hand on the door before wincing at the pain. "I don't want the other operatives to know that I'm going home and living with great uncle Ben this summer. I wanted stay with grandma," moaned Will.
"Oh my gosh stop calling him that,' said Charlie as if he wasn't standing there.
"EVERYONE SHUT UP!" screamed Maggie causing the three boys to look at her. She had a basket resting on her hip and glared at them. Her blue eyes behind her glasses slightly fiery and they fell silent. "Come on let's not fight. I know we can fold laundry together. Mum left me in charge."
Her voice bright at that leaving Charlie and Will to look at him.
"No, you're not I'm in charge," said Ben a bit more timid.
That didn't stop her as she whipped out her cell phone and hit a number on the dial pad. After about three rings did the familiar voice of numbuh 362 ring out.
"Rachel!" bellowed Ben out and into the phone. "Who's in charge?"
"Dude calm down," said Will. He was the one to talk, he was banging on the door.
There was shuffling and the voice going in and out. They could clearly hear. "Maggie's in charge," said Rachel in a muffled tone before the phone had to be hung up. Everyone looked dismayed at the 17-year-old holding a laundry basket full of linens. Smugly she turned on some old Taylor Swift song before tossing them sheets.
The boys didn't get up before Will joined her. That meant they had to help in pairs while Charlie just glared at his great uncle and reached for a sheet. Begrudgingly they had helped finish folding the laundry. Soon enough all four of them were crooning along to the song "Starlight" from about twenty or so years ago.
Oh my gosh, Nigel just looked on a bit stunned at that. His kids had some guts to stand up to Father. That or retirement really made Father lazy. Next to him Tommy and Hoagie were laughing some at the scene before them.
"See I never got along that well with Ben," said Charlie laughing along with them. "Except here and there."
"Tommy can you take us to a time where we're all together? You know for dad?" asked Charlie to the younger boy.
Tommy nodded and locked in on a random date with the intention of finding them once they got to the right time period. Which didn't take as long as he would have thought. Tommy glanced at Kuki and nodded at her showing that she would be next.
Finally, they found themselves landing in the future Uno household at the top of some steps. Clearly, they would have to get out at this point. A few staying inside not interested in the lives of the Uno family or not to arise suspicion. Creeping silently down the steps they peered into the main room.
"I can't wear this," said Will looking at himself in the mirror. He had on dark green pants, a light green button-down shirt, dark green tie and red vest. He was holding a picture in his hands and showed his Charlie. "I look like grandpa when he was a kid except I have blond hair and glasses."
"I think you look very dashing ol'bean," chortled Monty bringing teacups from the living room into the kitchen. Will just slapped a hand to his head and started to rifle through some of the clean laundry that sat in the basket to go up the steps.
"Here," said Maggie throwing him something. "It's your jeans that will make you look at least a little different."
"Are you ready for the family photo?" asked Rachel and looked at the all the clean clothes thrown across the floor. She didn't even look that mad that all the clean clothes were on the floor. "What is going on?"
"He put on something that made him look too much like grandpa," said Maggie.
"I like grandpa he's cool and all but I don't want to look exactly like him at that age," said Will handing Rachel a picture. She just smiled and then at the clean clothes pointing at them to clean it up. Then straightened up and left the room for a minute. Rachel didn't go up the stairs but out of sight from the steps.
Nigel had poked his head into the room and looked around too. "Okay we clean this up and the sooner we can take this picture and the sooner we can eat. Your mother has this handled and we need to leave like now."
Monty had joined them folding up the clean clothes that needed to go up the steps. "You know when I was your age," said Monty. "I didn't like wearing the tie either. Papi made Ben and I get dressed up for a picture and it was horrible. We're taking a cracker jack photo as we are."
"You boys need to stop wearing your uniforms everywhere," said Rachel rejoining the room with a plastic bag in her hand. "I picked up some clothes on sale and I think I have something that will work"
She tossed him a shirt that looked like it would fit him. She looked at the time and Nigel had the last clothes folded. Maggie opened the bathroom door for him to change into quick. Charlie had a timer counting down to when they would eat next in his hand.
"Ready?" said Nigel knocking on the door.
It flew open and Will stood there in jeans, a light green shirt with two dark green stripes on the chest and sleeve with a red one in the middle, the same colors his grandpa wore but better. His hair flying up as he attempted to get it to lay down before slightly falling in his blue eyes.
"And time, we need to head out now," said Charlie. Rachel had pulled him close into a hug and kissed his head. Not really minding it, they were pretty happy to get out of there on time and nobody really mad for nearly making them late.
Nigel had peeked into the room and had watched it with the rest of his team also curious. Charlie just looked down the steps a little unimpressed when Tommy had taken them. Oh well, maybe they'll find something better when they're done with the rest of the past Sector V.
Wally had whistled slightly and looked at Charlie. "Numbuh 362 didn't even get mad with all those clothes on the floor. My mom would have made me clean it up and I wouldn't have had any help," said Wally. "A bit boring but you said we're not sure when we're going to land."
"Good thing you said that because your family is next or at least where Kuki wants to go," said Charlie where Tommy nodded at him to decide who went next.
Wally turned bright red and mumbled something before Kuki dragged him back inside. They were off again before landing in the woods somewhere. From their right they could hear shouts, laughter, and strangely enough they could hear tears. Getting out with Sector V was Adi and Hunter. The others staying inside this time.
Then got closer to see a soccer field. A team of what looked like seven-year-olds all dressed alike and being yelled at by some lady. It wasn't their soccer mom though, it was someone else and in the crowd of the kids, was a mini version of Adi Beetles.
Sector V all looked at her and she just looked puzzled before stationing themselves underneath the stands where they could still see and hear what was going on.
"They're creaming us," said Adi looking at her teammates and then at the team on the other side. Disappointment decorated her teams faces.
"Well they wouldn't be if we could play dirty like them. Beetles you know that they're cheating, and you still want us to play fair?" asked a bigger kid that had to be older than the rest.
"We can't sink to their level it makes us look just as bad," protested Adi frantic to get everyone's attention. Most were either ignoring her and bored. The others listening to their coach wondering if they could actually win. "It's just one game."
"One game?! This is the championships!" said a girl glaring at her. "Come on, if we can't even try to win, we might as well forfeit."
"But we can't forfeit," said Adi. "Give me a second, let me talk to our sponsor okay? Just sit tight and then we can play."
A few nodded before Adi had walked over to the stands where the parents were sitting, and the past sector V was listening. The half Asian girl had pulled someone from the stands and Kuki had to squeal a little. That was her older self before Abby clapped a hand over her mouth.
The other Kuki stood there and then got down on her knees in front of her daughter. From the back Wally could see she was just as pretty as she was now. All her hair was swept up into a bun, held in place with a flowery hair comb that Kuki really liked. Plus, she had on a rainbow monkey shirt despite being an adult herself.
"Mom, they're not listening to me, they want to forfeit! The other team is cheating and… and… I don't think I'm any good at this leading thing," she said lamely and trying hard to hide her tears. Kuki had leaned in and hugged her.
"Honey you're doing the right thing by playing fair," she said smoothing Adi's ponytail. "And you got your team this far, they should be proud to be playing in the championships."
"Yea but everyone wants to win, and I can't do that," she said crying this time and hiccupping some. "We should just quit. I don't know what to do."
"Adelaide Miyoshi Beetles, our family is not quitters. Do you think that I gave up when I was running for student body president? Or prom queen? Or when I wanted to be the lead in the play?" she asked listing off some of her accomplishments that hopefully got to her.
Adi looked at her mother a little surprised and impressed. "You really did all of that?"
"I did and you can too. It doesn't matter to me if you win or not today, you should be proud that you got your team this far. You should work smarter, not harder. What do you think that you should do?"
The look on the young girls face looked determined and then walked back to her team with a plan. They continued to play and even managed to catch up to the other team. They were playing smarter by using their cheating against them. Until the final goal was visitors 16 and home 15. They were the home team.
"Everyone to the car for pizza!" called Wally racing to the van that they rented.
"But we lost," complained one girl.
"Yea by one point, want to wallow or get free pizza and ice cream?"
Even though they lost the team cheered at the mention of free food. Falling back to catch up with her mom Adi walked away with Kuki.
From their spot sector V and the others just waited until the field was completely cleared and headed back to their time machine. It was silent but Kuki had pulled Adi into a hug and squeezed her tightly. Once they were back and nobody had followed them did, they burst into a conversation about what they just saw.
Kuki was begging to know if Adi had the yearbook of the pictures of her really doing all of that. Wally just bragging about how cool he was of an adult to buy even the losing team pizza and ice cream. Now he couldn't wait to see what he was doing. Plus, the fact that they were rich enough to do it.
"Alright ohh maybe we could find something with Abby and Hoagie or my parents next," said Terrence.
"I have so many great memories with my parents," said Hunter thinking about it and grinned at their younger versions. "Don't worry nothing embarrassing as far as I know."
"I say do me and Sonia's future," said Lee. "We don't mind combining the two of us together."
Interesting, they were willing to share a memory together thought Kuki, maybe she should have done that too. The machine shot off as soon as Tommy had permission from them. Which honestly didn't take as long. Like before the group divided up with Tommy, Lee, and Sonia walking out first. Kuki wanted to come with everyone else staying behind.
From their spot they could see a girl standing next to a red and white birthday cake. Twelve candles were alight. Her black hair tied up into two buns on her head. A red skirt paired with a white shirt with red polka dots all over it. Next to her was a younger version of Terrance, and another girl next to them in a yellow overall dress with white undershirt that had stars all over it. Her hair
"Wait we have a girl too?" asked Sonia her green eyes wide.
"My sister Shelby," said the older Terrance. "This looks like her birthday three years ago. She's fifteen now. Wendy is my twin sister."
Any other time they would shudder and sympathize with having a teenage sibling. Now that it was one of their own kids, wasn't as weird. They crept around the corner to get a closer look. It was definitely a birthday if they couldn't tell before. With red and gold streamers crisscrossing the ceiling. Then the singing started.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, you live in a zoo. You look like a monkey and you smell like one too," said the younger Terrence and Wendy at the same time.
"Geez I feel loved," said Shelby rolling her eyes but smiled at her brother siblings and messed up their hair.
"Happy birthday honey," said Sonia, hugging her daughter from the side and squeezing her shoulder.
"Can I have a corner piece?" asked Terrance eyeing the cake.
"Only after I get a corner piece first," said the girl.
"And you leave us the middle," joked Lee. "Alright let eat this baby. We have until 3 to eat most of it."
"I hate having my birthday at the beginning of Chinese New Year," she said and took the slice of cake that was passed to her. "Do I get to open my presents now?"
"Sure," said Lee who had glanced at the clock. "We still have plenty of time before my brother and sisters show up."
Shelby just rolled her eyes probably thinking of just how rowdy her cousins really were. Then gave her dad a side hug running over to the pile next to the door.
From his spot, Lee just watched as she got books and toys and even clothes that she seemed to appreciate. This was kind of nice to watch them just give her present after present. If he had to guess she couldn't have friends over because of the new year celebration. He glanced at the calendar to see that her 12th birthday was February 19, 2034. Interesting, as he hoped that he remembered that.
"Alright, I'm going to hide new shoes, I don't want Tara to ask to borrow them," said Shelby putting on a pair of red and white converse sneakers. "She always wants to borrow my stuff."
"She thinks you have nice things," said Lee, "but I'll talk to my sister."
"Thanks dad," said Shelby and giving Sonia a hug too.
She ran off leaving Terrance to follow her out of curiosity. It looked like the two of them were okay with each other at this point in time.
Slowly Lee backed to the time machine along with the others cutting off their time. Shelby and young Terrance were coming in their direction. Lee had grasped Sonia's hand before they were rushed back into the time machine. The next couple of stops were going to be Abby, Rachel, Hoagie, and Wally. Then maybe fun stop somewhere along the way.