Eight: Isabella's christening
Plot: Two weeks have passed since Isabella was born and now it's time to present her to the world. Unfortunately Nell happens to not be feeling well. Ricky thinks she's ill while his sisters know that it's something else.
"This is your Auntie Elena's room. She and Auntie Gabby wanted their own rooms when they turned ten so Auntie Nell gave in. I've been in here a few times," Ricky cooed to his babbling two week old cousin as he carried her in his arms.
Since Isabella was going to be presented to the world that evening, the teenager thought it would be a good idea to introduce her to every room in the castle, saving his for last.
Isabella squealed happily as she spotted Kitty, well loved but in good condition despite years of play, biting, and drool, next to stacks of writing and pictures.
"Actually, Isa, that's Auntie Elena's kitty," Ricky smiled, "You're sharing my little buddy Greenie. And get this! You're going to get a kitty all your own when we have your introductory ball tonight! But I know how you feel. I shared Kitty before I got my own kitty, Zoomer. He's Greenie's big brother."
Isabella looked up at him, squealing excitedly at the thought of seeing her kitty's big brother.
"I know that look, Isa, and yes, I'll introduce you to Zoomer," Ricky chuckled as Edward and Lydia came up to them.
"Introducing her to everyone's rooms aren't you champ?" Edward smiled, musing Ricky's hair.
"Maybe," Ricky smirked playfully as Isabella cooed, finding Elena's stack of papers interesting.
"No no honey. That's Elena's work," Lydia scolded gently, taking her granddaughter in her arms.
"And when in it's in stacks, that means she has to publish it," Elena smirked, walking out of her closet. "Isa, let me say this, picking a dress for tonight is hard."
"It's our worst fear come true: you're turning into Amber!" Ricky joked.
"With a little bit of James thrown in, don't you think?" Elena asked, pointing at the story she was working on.
"Well, we did learn that writing is a good outlet for you," Edward smiled. "You sometimes helped James with his stories, and James, the human spell checker and proofreader, would help you whenever you had questions!"
"And look at him now: he's a published author in Dunwiddie!" Lydia smiled. She smiled as she recalled how excited James was when the magazine whose stories he contributed asked if they could compile them into a collection and have them published as a book.
"Do you remember how Roland had wanted to buy a book, but the store was sold out?" Elena asked.
"Yes, but that was only because James bought every single copy they had!" Edward chuckled. "He gave a book to the castle library, kept one for himself, and handed out the rest to everyone in the castle!"
"But several of the books were given back to the store!" Lydia smiled. "But we can't fault him for doing that; we'd be excited too, if that happened to us!"
"Looks like an interesting story sis," Ricky grinned, picking up one of Elena's illustrations.
"It's for the children," Elena smirked, taking her drawing back.
"Aren't I one?" Ricky smirked, having his sister give him a playful glare.
"What's the story this time? Magic? Darkness overpowering a city?" Edward joked, knowing that the kingdom of Avalor and their queen had been Elena's inspiration for her writing.
"No, this time it's about how Kitty and her family came to life and met Briar Rose!" Elena grinned. Everyone called the plush jaquins they got in Avalor Kitty's family. When Elena was a child, she used one of Mateo's potions on Kitty, bringing her to life. She had told her first kitty Snow White about it, and when she got her new kitty Briar Rose, she told her the story as well.
"Did Tiger meet her too?" Ricky asked, referring to his own kitty. When he was four, one of the kittens adopted him, and he named him Stripe. When Stripe died of old age, Ricky adopted a new kitty he named Tiger, since he bore a strong resemblance to his first cat.
"Of course he did," Elena smiled.
"Kitty loves all her friends."
"And she'll love Isa's!" Sabrina chuckled, holding back a yawn. "Thank you Ricky for watching her."
"Sleepless night did you have?" Lydia mused, stroking her daughter's hair. "Your sister used to have them all the time."
"Speaking of Mommy, she looked ill this morning when I saw her with Daddy in the garden. I hope she's okay," Ricky muttered, taking Kitty in his arms and stroking her.
"She's just been tired lately, sweetheart," Lydia assured him, "She's been helping everyone get everything ready for Isabella's welcoming ball tonight."
"She's been working as hard as James," Edward chuckled. "When he's not working his fingers to the bone working on papers, he's working his fingers to the bone helping everyone around the castle!"
"Do you think we could see her and Daddy?" Ricky suggested. "I just want to check on her."
"Of course, champ," Edward smiled.
"Come on Isa! We get to see your auntie and uncle!" Sabrina giggled, stroking Isabella's hair.
"I'm her tour guide. Give her to me!" Ricky pouted, holding out his hands.
"Fine. But you're dressing her up tonight," Sabrina smirked, musing his hair.
"Okay," Ricky sighed as they made their way to Nell and Bobby Lee's room.
Ricky bit his lip in concern as he stepped inside with the rest of the family behind him.
Even since Nell lost Clara three years before, the fear of being a big brother haunted him. He loved his mom but he just wouldn't be able to handle the pain in her eyes again if she wasn't ill like he thought she was.
"Mommy?" he asked softly, poking his head in the door. "Daddy?"
Nell and Bobby Lee looked up at his scared tone. "Ricky, is everything okay?" Bobby Lee asked, recalling how scared Ricky had been when he heard them crying over Clara's death.
"I was going to ask you the same thing," Ricky admitted.
"Oh, sweetheart, I'm fine," Nell smiled. She patted a spot next to her on the bed, and he sat down. "But enough about me, what's going on with you?"
"I'm okay...I guess," Ricky murmured.
However, Nell noticed how nervous he was. She remembered that on the night she lost Clara, Ricky had been suffering from a bad cold, and ever since then, he'd been convinced that it was his cold that made her lose his sister. "Richard Edward Johnson the Second, I want to tell you something right now, and I want you to remember it," she said as she pulled him into a hug, "You were not responsible for Clara's death."
"Mommy's right. What Gabby and I know from school is that sometimes babies don't make it fully. Other times well it depends on what's going on with the one expecting," Elena said, hugging her little brother close.
"So I didn't cause Clara to you know," Ricky asked, watching as Isabella looked up at him and Nell.
"No you didn't, Ricky," Nell smiled, pulling him close and rocking him like she used to when he was little. "Sometimes things just happen that we can't control."
"You didn't do anything wrong, Ricky," Bobby Lee added.
Ricky tried to listen to them, but he couldn't help but start crying in Nell's arms. He didn't know whether it was from pent-up guilt, or sadness, or relief that what happened wasn't his fault.
"It's all right, Ricky," Nell murmured, stroking his hair. "Everything's going to be all right."
"I know something that'll help him," Elena smiled. She hopped off the bed and ran to Ricky's room. She came back a minute later with two stuffed jaquin toys: black-and-gray Zoomer, and green-and-yellow Greenie. "Kitties make everything better!" she said as she nuzzled Zoomer against Ricky.
Isabella cooed, reaching out for her best friend as Ricky calmed down at the touch of Zoomer.
"See? Kitties do make everything better," Edward smirked, musing Ricky's hair before kissing Nell on the cheek. "How are you feeling Helenita?"
"Still a little sick but not as bad as it was," Nell smiled softly as Bobby Lee squeezed her hand. "Papa, Mama, I was sick to my stomach earlier today. I'm hoping it's not a bug but at the same time I'm hope I'm not expecting again. I told myself never again after Clara died."
"Well, sometimes things happen that are out of our hands," Lydia smiled. "We'll see how you are at Isabella's introductory ball tonight, but if you still feel a little sick, I'll take you to the doctor."
"I won't let anything happen to you, Mommy, I promise!" Ricky murmured.
"That's almost exactly what Daddy said when I was pregnant with Elena and Gabby!" Nell grinned. "When he learned that I was expecting twins, he never gave me a minute's peace! I had a twenty-four hour guard for my entire pregnancy! I do not want that to happen again!"
"Howie did the same thing," Sabrina grinned, holding Isabella in her arms while the infant drooled on Greenie. "But we'll be happy with Isa finally getting introduced to the entire kingdom tonight."
"I remember Ricky's. He only became quiet around us and Queen Elena. Everyone else he would start crying!" Elena chuckled with a smile.
"I don't remember that," Ricky frowned before smiling at Isabella who was reaching out for Zoomer. "Zoom-zoom-zoom! Zoomer goes zoom-zoom!"
"You always loved the song Auntie Madeline made up," Elena grinned.
"She's got a way with naming kitties," Ricky smiled, recalling how Madeline had named both Zoomer and Greenie.
"You think she can do it again for Isa?" Gabby asked.
"Maybe," Edward smiled, "Madeline does have a very good track record when it comes to naming kitties!"
"But we don't even know what the new kitty will look like," Lydia smiled, "But I'm sure he or she will love the name Madeline gives him or her, or whoever gives them their name."
"But where have you been?" Elena questioned her sister before seeing a gash on her sister's cheek. "Did someone hurt you?"
"Oh that. Sofia and I had a secret library mission last night. I've been warned that it'll be more dangerous as I got older and because of a lady named Prisma having some issue with Sofia, I got a gash to my face while trying to help her out," Gabby said, slumping her shoulders. "Sofia feels guilty for what happened to me."
"I could always go with you," Ricky offered.
"That's okay, Ricky, Sofia and I have more experience with this sort of thing," Gabby said as he helped bandage her up.
"I know, but you need someone to protect you," Ricky insisted.
"Sofia told me that Prisma won't always be involved," Gabby assured him.
"Besides I've gotten worse as you know from Rex's bite on my leg."
"I forgot that you still have it," Edward mused, kissing her cheek. "You used to have so much trouble with it when you were little."
"Mommy told me that when I started to walk, you tried to case me but you got tired," Ricky grinned, hugging Gabby close.
"That's because you were walking too fast!" Sabrina recalled with a giggle before Isabella started to fuss. "I'll feed her and Nell hopefully you feel better but maybe you could be having another baby."
"I'll have to go to the doctor to be sure," Nell admitted. "While part of me says no more babies after what happened to Clara, I would like to hold a little one again."
"And I thought you were getting better, Gabby," Ricky paused. He only knew James' dog Jagger, whom Elena used as her therapy dog. He heard the story of how Rex bit Gabby when she was a child, and how James got a new dog.
"I am better baby brother," Gabby smirked, musing his hair. "We'll help you get ready for the trip Mom. Daddy should probably stay here tonight in case it's baby fever."
"And it probably will be," Elena smiled softly, seeing Nell's look of worry. "We've all gotten older since what happened to Clara and that includes you Mommy. You'll be okay and if we know Dad and Ricky, they'll both make sure of it."
"We'll take really good care of you," Bobby Lee promised, Ricky nodding at his side.
"I have complete faith that you will," Nell smiled.
The time for Isabella being introduced to the kingdom had arrived as Elena and Gabby ran up to their mother, giving her kisses on the cheek.
"Good luck," Gabby smiled, hugging Nell close. "You've done so much for us, now that we're older and understand we can help you."
"And Kitty can keep you company," Elena added, handing her favorite childhood toy to Nell's arms.
"Thank you girls. Though I'm wondering how my little man is putting up with Isa. Babies can be really squirmy when it comes to dressing up," Nell recalled with a smirk. "I know you two were."
"Who, us?" Elena asked innocently.
"Never!" Gabby smiled sweetly.
Meanwhile, Ricky was trying to get Isabella ready. She kept trying to reach for Greenie, but Ricky moved him aside so he could get her dressed. "We'll play with Greenie soon, Isa," he assured her as he slipped Isabella's dress over her head. "There we go! You're all set!"
"Are you sure about that, buddy?" Edward asked, seeing the results of Ricky's handiwork.
"Of course she is, Grandpa! Why would you say that?" Ricky asked.
"I think you got her dress on backwards," Edward smirked.
Ricky looked down and noticed that he was right. "Oops..." he muttered.
"Don't worry, champ," Bobby Lee grinned as he came in, "Just walk backwards with Isabella and hope nobody notices!"
"Good idea," Ricky smirked.
"Or we could help you put it right," Edward grinned as he and Bobby Lee helped Ricky fix the dress.
"You squirm too much," Ricky smirked as Isabella wanted Greenie.
"Your sisters were the same way as she is now. It only got worse when they could crawl and walk," Edward recalled with a smile.
"Really?" Bobby Lee joked with a smile.
"You don't remember?" Lydia smirked, giving Ricky a kiss on the cheek.
"Not really," Bobby Lee grinned as Isabella smiled at him. "Tell me."
Lydia grinned as she and Edward told Bobby Lee and Ricky about how Elena had slipped out of the bathroom while Queen Elena had visited once. She had run into a meeting she, Roland, and Miranda were having, and she had been stark naked.
"But didn't Mommy say we're not supposed to tell that story anymore?" Ricky asked.
"Yes, but that never stopped us before!" Bobby Lee grinned, shouting, "Don't look, Helen!"
"Oh, yes, your father sang that ridiculous song every time you and your sisters ran around in your birthday suits!" Lydia grinned, mussing Ricky's hair as he turned red. "And he'll probably do that for Isabella too!"
"Come on. Let's get you to Mommy and Daddy," Edward cooed, taking Isabella in his arms. "Maybe we can play peek-a boo with Greenie. Would you like that?"
Isabella giggled at the idea, drooling on Greenie's paw in response.
"And you can play peek-a-boo with the little friend Queen Elena gives you too!" Ricky grinned, kissing her on the cheek.
Isabella squealed as Edward, Lydia, and Ricky walked down with her, giggling as Ricky nuzzled Greenie against her.
Sabrina smiled as she came up to them. "Somebody's a happy girl," she cooed, kissing Isabella's cheek.
"Our little Isa's always happy," Howitzer smiled.
"Come on. She's my baby Daddy," Sabrina smirked, seeing Edward refuse to let Isabella go.
"But she's cuddly," Edward frowned, hearing Howitzer chuckle.
"Yes, she's our little snuggle bug," Howitzer smiled, taking her in his arms.
"Watch what you say, Howie," Sabrina giggled. "Elena's nickname is Love Bug, and there might be confusion between the two. Or there could be trouble if Elena thinks there's a threat to her territory!"
"She knows the difference between the two names, right?" Howitzer grinned.
"Of course she does," Sabrina smiled.
"There's our Snuggle Bug!" Elena started, musing Isabella's hair.
"Have you been good?" Gabby finished as Sabrina and Madeline looked at each other.
Maybe they shouldn't have been twinning throughout the girls' childhoods after all.
Lydia and Edward smiled at how the girls were talking. "Great minds do think alike," Lydia smiled.
"You're right," Edward grinned.
"Okay, but what am I thinking about now?" Bobby Lee asked, looking at the clock.
"Knock it off with the jokes, finish getting ready, and get Isa downstairs to her adoring public?" Ricky grinned.
Bobby Lee grinned as he put Ricky in a headlock and mussed his hair. "You know me so well!"
"I just hope Mom is okay," Gabby muttered, taking Isabella in her arms.
"I'm sure she will be Gabby," Elena assured, holding out her hands."Now give me Isa. I'm the closest to the ballroom."
Elena, Gabby, and Ricky made their way into the ballroom with Bobby Lee, Florence, Lydia, and Edward behind them. They knew Bianca would take care of Nell, but they still wished that she could be here to see this.
Isabella looked around from where she was in Elena's arms. She was confused about so many people there, but she squealed when she saw Queen Elena.
Queen Elena smiled. "It's nice to meet you too, Miss Isabella," she whispered, "I've got something for you."
"It has the letter J in it," Elena smiled, kissing Isabella's cheek.
"Teaching her letters already?" Mateo joked, smiling softly at Elena. "Have you gotten bigger since we saw each other?"
"Indeed I have," Elena smiled softly at the royal wizard. "I write and draw stories for children. Which I guess you can say now includes Isabella."
"And we have the book James sent us," Queen Elena smiled. "I remember reading one of his stories during your first visit to Avalor, and I told him I wanted a copy of it."
"Did he write his Andrew Harmon stories for you too?" Lydia smiled.
"Yes he did!" Queen Elena grinned. "Elena and Gabby drew pictures for it, and when it was finished, Mateo turned the folder into a hardcover book, and it's still in our royal library!"
"I'll send you a copy of my first book," Elena smiled.
"I don't doubt that," Queen Elena smiled, "But now, I'd like to give little Isabella here a very special gift..." She reached behind her, and revealed a dark blue and purple stuffed jaquin. "I hear you're sharing Richard's jaquin, sweetheart, but this one is for you too. She'll keep Greenie company, and they can play together."
Isabella cooed when she saw the kitty Queen Elena was holding. She put the new jaquin's paw in her mouth and bounced in Elena's arms.
"Everyone loves kitties. Even babies," Sabrina cooed, taking Isabella in her arms. "Come on Isa. The king and queen are waiting for us."
Isabella cooed, resting against Sabrina's chest as Elena felt a tap on her shoulder.
"Yes?" Elena asked, seeing a smile on the face of the one who tapped her shoulder. "Mommy! You're back early."
"Any news?" Gabby asked as Nell placed a finger to her lips.
"Get your brother. I have to speak to him," Nell whispered, hugging her girls close. "I'll join you two with Isa in a few minutes."
When Elena motioned for him to go over to Nell, Ricky felt nervous all over again. Even though he now understood that what happened to Clara was not his fault, he couldn't help but feel frightened again. He really wished he could have Zoomer or Greenie with him to help with his uneasiness, but he thought people might say something if they saw him carrying around a stuffed toy like the one Queen Elena just gave Isabella.
People were always saying that he was growing up to be just like his father and he wanted it to be that way.
"It's okay honey," Nell assured him with a hug. "This'll be really quick."
"Is it a baby?" Ricky asked, touching her stomach. "Because you would still be sick if it was the stomach bug."
"It is a baby," Nell whispered. "Bianca and I just found out from Dr. Heydenberg, the castle physician when he came to check on me."
"Congratulations, Mommy!" Ricky smiled. "Not just for that, but congratulations! You now have a 24-hour guard! And I promise not to get sick around you this time!"
Bobby Lee grinned as he heard him. "I agree with you about the guard, Ricky, but this calls for another celebration!" He kissed Nell and brought her to the middle of the room, singing, "We're having a baby! My baby and me!"
Everyone was laughing and applauding for them as Bobby Lee carefully danced Nell around the room as he sang.
"Didn't we notice the signs right away?" Elena pouted, crossing her arms. "We should've told them!"
"Now now Ele. Let them have their moment," Gabby grinned, musing Ricky's hair. "Baby brother won't be the baby anymore."
"I think I lost the title of baby of the family when Isa was born, so joke's on you," Ricky smirked.
The laughter died down as Sabrina and Howitzer brought Isabella up to Roland and Miranda.
"Oh the water. How did I forget!" Nell whispered to Bobby Lee with a frown. "Ricky hated this part!"
"He only hated it because you weren't holding him," Bobby Lee smirked, kissing her cheek.
"What's going on?" Elena asked in confusion. "I don't remember this."
"Roland touched your heads with water when you were introduced," Nell explained. "When he did it with you and Gabby, you looked a little confused. Gabby giggled when he put the water on her, but Ricky..."
"Oh yes," Bobby Lee smirked. "He tried to reach for me and he wouldn't quit moving. I ended up holding him, but he was squirming so much that he bumped the cup of water, and it splashed him, Roland, and me!"
"Isa seems to like it," Ricky smirked playfully, hearing Isabella giggle.
"To her it's like bath time," Gabby smiled, nudging Elena on the shoulder. "Unlike you and bath time."
"I was three! One streak incident and I never hear the end of it!" Elena pouted before turning to Nell. "What happens next?"
"Roland and the preacher announce Isa, and they ask Sabrina, Howitzer, and everyone in attendance a few questions, mostly about if we'll help Isa grow up in a loving environment, and teach her what she needs to know as she gets older, that sort of thing...it's been a while since I've seen this," Nell admitted.
"But we will help her grow won't we?" Ricky asked with a smile.
"Of course we will," Elena assured, musing his hair. "Just like Gabby and I did with you."
"And you were easy to have as a brother when you were little," Gabby smirked, watching Isabella look confused.
"You love me," Ricky smiled innocently.
"Yes we do, Ricky," Gabby smiled, squeezing his hand as Isabella giggled when the water touched her forehead.
"Always happy," Sabrina smiled, kissing Isabella's cheek. "Our Isabella Madeline."
"Yes she is," Roland smiled, standing between husband and wife. "Now do you promise to help her grow up healthy and loved?"
"We do," Sabrina and Howitzer confirmed.
"We do," everyone in the room agreed when the question was posed to them.
"And we will with this one," Ricky whispered in Nell's ear. "I promise Mommy."
"You don't want us crying again do you?" Nell realized, nuzzling him close.
"I think we're going to be in tears again, but this time they're happy tears," Lydia smiled.
"Now it's time to name Isa's kitty," Madeline smirked, seeing Isabella coo excitedly for her kitty.
"Howie, give her her kitty," Sabrina teased, nudging his shoulder.
"Oh, no, Sabrina, this is my kitty now; she told me so!" Howitzer grinned, nuzzling the blue and purple jaquin against Isabel and Sabrina.
Isabella squealed as she felt the kitty against her cheek.
"And you have your own kitty, Howie!" Sabrina giggled, recalling Howitzer's own red and orange jaquin named Sunset.
"You want you kitty sweetheart?" Nell asked, tickling Isabella on her stomach.
Isabella giggled, clapping her hands before grabbing her kitty from her father's arms.
"So what's her name?" Ricky asked.
"Why are you asking me?" Madeline smiled.
"You're the one who has the talent for naming jaquins," Ricky smiled.
"How would you like to name her this time, Ricky?" Madeline smiled.
Ricky grinned. "Okay!" He put a hand on the toy jaquin's head and pretended to concentrate. "Okay, it's coming...I see it...Yes! Midnight!"
"That will go along well with Sunset," Sabrina smiled as Isabella giggled up at him, putting Midnight's paw in her mouth again.
"Another successful kitty naming!" Bobby Lee joked with a laugh, seeing Sabrina nudge him playfully. "And bringing another baby to the kingdom."
"I think Daddy has baby fever," Gabby whispered to Elena with a smirk.
"Oh? What are his symptoms?" Elena joked with a smile.
"He's been acting strange lately," Nell smiled. "He thinks he's alone, and he takes Sergeant or Bluebell in his arms and starts rocking them, just like he used to with you when you were little. He'd also be walking, and he'd hum some of the songs James always sang to you to help you go to sleep."
"It's a good thing James made us a tape of the songs he always sang," Gabby smiled, "Now Isa can hear them too!"