Ricky cooed, kicking his legs happily as Elena pouted next to him.
She hated not being able to see her idol for an hour. Waiting that long to her felt like forever.
"No piggies, Ricky," Elena sighed, seeing him lift up one of his legs. "You're lucky. Even waiting a long time makes you happy!"
"It won't be too much longer, sweetheart," Bianca assured her. "Armando said that the Grand Council should be letting out in a few minutes."
"Good things do come to those who wait," Bobby Lee agreed.
Elena was about to start pouting when the doors opened. "Well, hello, everyone!" her namesake smiled. Elena was about to jump into her arms, but Queen Elena scooped her up first. "Elena! I can't believe you came all this way just to see me!"
Elena giggled as she hugged her. "We visit you for our vacation!"
"And not just for the kitties," Bobby Lee joked before Ricky started to fuss. "Ricky, what is it, buddy?"
"Remember when I explained to you that Avalor might be too warm for our little guy, this is what I meant," Nell smirked, taking off Ricky's shirt.
Ricky stopped fussing, pulling on Nell's hair in response, cooing happily.
"Prince James, Robert Lee, I know those looks on your faces, and I know what you're going to say," Bianca murmured, seeing James and Bobby Lee grinning at each other. "I'm only going to warn you once. Do not say it!"
"Say what, Miss Bianca?" James asked innocently.
"You know what you say when you see that," Bianca frowned.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Bobby Lee smiled.
"Don't play innocent with me! You're even thinking it right now!" Bianca scolded, seeing the smirks on their faces.
"What are they going to say?" Queen Elena asked.
As if that was the cue they were waiting for, James and Bobby Lee shouted together, "Don't look, Helen!"
"Oh, yes, I remember that!" Queen Elena chuckled, remembering her namesake streaking into a meeting between Roland, Miranda, and herself.
Even Madeline and Sabrina giggled at the memory. Bobby Lee had told them about what had happened, and they had peeked in Elena's room while she was in timeout. Luckily, she was fully clothed, and sleeping against James, who was telling her and Gabby a story.
But they had remembered that Ricky was a baby, and cold or hot, he fussed until he got what he wanted.
"Mama used to do this when you two were babies whenever it was warm," Nell explained with a grin. "Besides he'll fine without his shirt and pants for a while."
"Did you do it with us, Mommy?" Elena asked with a smile.
"Oh, yes, and even then, your father sang that ridiculous song," Nell muttered. "And when Ricky starts walking, and running naked around the castle, we can all be sure that he'll sing it again!"
"You love me," Bobby Lee smiled innocently, kissing her on the cheek.
"That works for Elena and Gabby...most of the time!" Nell smirked. "And you even got James to be your accomplice in mischief!"
"Curse Bobby Lee's bad influence!" James laughed as Roland mussed his hair.
"Jack wins?" Elena asked with a smile.
"Isabel's been playing with some baby ones all morning," Queen Elena grinned, stroking her hair.
"Jack wins are Mommy and Daddy?" Elena asked in confusion.
"Well, sweetheart, there's a thing called mating-" Bobby Lee began as Florence pulled his ear. "Mother!"
"Not until she's as old as you, Robert!" Florence whispered.
"Elena Lydia, would you like to see the baby Jaquins?" Bianca asked before Elena could ask any more questions.
"I know I would!" Sofia grinned.
"Me too!" Amber agreed.
"Yeah!" Sabrina smiled.
"Sure!" James smiled, with Madeline nodding in agreement next to him.
Ricky cooed, holding up Zoomer as Elena looked around.
Baby flying kitties?! They sounded adorable and reminded her of her little brother.
"Baby flying kitties!" Elena giggled, flapping her hands. "We see them?"
"Zoom! Come back here!" Isabel cried, seeing the baby jaquin land in Elena's arms.
"Ricky! Look! Kitty!" Elena giggled, holding Zoom close.
"I'm so sorry! We were all playing, and this little guy smelled something sweet in here!" Isabel explained before looking up at her big sister. "I'm sorry if he interrupted something, Elena."
"Don't worry, Isa; the Grand Council finished up a few minutes ago," Queen Elena smiled. "The timing was just about perfect!" She turned to her namesake, who was cuddling Zoom. "I think I wrote you a while back and told you that we had three new baby jaquins."
"Oh, yes," Bobby Lee grinned. "As soon as Elena heard about them, that was pretty much it. She wanted to come here and see them, and wild horses wouldn't keep her away!"
"His name Zoom?" Elena asked.
"That's right," Queen Elena smiled. "There are two others around somewhere, named Mingo and Estrella, who are his brother and sister."
"And I think I found another one," Sabrina smiled, stroking a pink baby jaquin. "She's so sweet!"
"Yes, that's Estrella," Queen Elena smiled. "And I think James just met Mingo!" She smiled as she pointed at the purple jaquin who was sitting on James' shoulder, sniffing his ear and nuzzling his hair.
"I thought pirates had parrots on their shoulders, not jaquins!" Bobby Lee joked.
"Elena?" Zoom asked, looking up into Elena's eyes. "You're tiny!"
"Wrong Elena, Zoom!" Isabel chuckled, stroking the baby jaquin. "That's not my sister."
"She's right," Nell grinned, picking up a cooing Ricky who started to notice Mingo and Estrella sniffing him.
"Ricky, show Zoom your Zoomer!" Gabby suggested.
Ricky giggled at the baby jaquins and held up his little black and gray jaquin toy.
"You named him after Zoom? That was so sweet of you!" Queen Elena smiled.
"Actually, Madeline came up with the name," Nell grinned. "We couldn't think of a name for him after we got him, and anyway, Kitty had already been taken, so Madeline started flying him around the room as she played with Ricky. He'd laugh and laugh every time she sang 'Zoomer goes Zoom-Zoom', so the name stuck."
Madeline smiled. She'd almost forgotten about that. "Now I'll have to get my own toy jaquin," she said as Nell put an arm around her.
"We'll have to get one for all the kids, and grown-ups if they want one!" Nell smiled as she hugged her.
"We do!" Roland and Bobby Lee yelled, waving their hands.
"Especially those two," Bianca smiled, shaking her head. "Ricky, do you like the baby jaquins?"
Ricky squealed in response, clapping his hands as all the baby jaquins surrounded him.
"Hey! My son is not a treat!" Nell playfully yelled, seeing Zoom sniff Ricky. "What do you think he is? A berry you three like?"
"Well, they know sweet things when they sense them," Bianca smiled, stroking Estrella.
"We're sweet too, right?" Madeline asked, smiling as Mingo landed in her arms.
"Of course you are, little Butterfly," Nell smiled as she stroked him. Nell noticed that Madeline was acting a lot calmer now that she was holding a baby jaquin and listening to him purr. Just like Jagger did for Elena, Mingo might act as Madeline's therapy animal while she was here. If Madeline had her own jaquin, it might help her, even though she'd have to take a toy jaquin home. She smiled, since she knew she could ask Cedric or even Mateo to put a spell on the toy and make it purr. That way, Madeline could use it to calm herself down whenever she had one of her mood swings.
"Anoki! Anoki!" Zoom giggled, spying some of Ricky's baby food and bottles.
"What's an Anoki?" Sabrina asked in confusion.
"Is it baby food for Jack wins?" Elena asked with a smile. "Cause Ricky's good at sharing his! Well, just with Mommy."
"Anoki berries are a type of food that baby jaquins love," Isabel smiled. "Armando also uses anoki berries in his recipes."
"Speaking of which," Armando smiled as he brought out a cart with tea and a platter full of cupcakes, which had been made with said berries.
"These are outstanding," Roland smiled as he tried one. "You must give us your recipe!"
"And be sure to send a copy of it to Sandra," Nell added, remembering one of their friends from Orillia.
"I will, Miss Helen," Armando smiled.
"You know Sandra?" Elena asked.
"Yes we do," Queen Elena smiled. "We met her and her family when we came to Orillia for your Halloween and Dia de los Muretos parties, remember? Before we went home, King Robert agreed to be one of our new trading partners."
"Impressive!" Bobby Lee chuckled, taking some of the cupcakes for himself.
"Daddy, share!" Elena yelled, crossing her arms.
"Yes, Bobby Lee. Share," Nell smirked as Ricky reached out for a cupcake. "Ricky when you have more teeth, you can have a cupcake."
Ricky just cooed, more interested in trying to pet the baby jaquins than trying the cupcakes. However, he did giggle when Bobby Lee dipped a finger in the frosting and swiped it on his nose.
"Robert," Nell tried to look stern, but she smiled as Bobby Lee cleaned Ricky up and let him have a taste of the frosting.
"You like that, buddy?" Bobby Lee smiled as Ricky cooed and cuddled against Nell.
"Mommy's not a tissue, Ricky," Nell smirked.
Ricky cooed again looking down at her chest before remembering his tooth.
He didn't want his mommy hurt again like the last time and though he hated the thought of a bottle, he did it for Nell.
"What do you want, little guy?" Nell cooed, stroking his hair. "Huh?"
"You want a bottle, Ricky?" Madeline asked, going over to his bag and fishing a bottle of milk out.
As Ricky cooed and reached for it, Nell smiled. "Good thinking, Madeline! I know we've been trying the bottle more often, and he's getting used to it."
"He takes it one day at a time, right?" Madeline asked, remembering something Nell and Bobby Lee were always telling Elena and Gabby.
"I see that's starting to rub off on you and Sabrina," Bobby Lee chuckled, mussing her hair.
"Whatever works for him, and that is a good tip," Madeline smiled.
"It sure is," Queen Elena grinned, mussing Elena's hair.
"Mommy I wanna hold Ricky!" Elena yelled before looking at her idol and remembering her manners. "Please?"
"Didn't you say how heavy he was the last time?" Nell smirked, placing Ricky in her arms.
"Yes, but that was 'cause Kitty was there too!" Elena recalled with a giggle.
Nell, Queen Elena, and her namesake all sat down on a couch, with Ricky in Elena's arms. Ricky looked up at his big sister and cooed happily.
"Isn't that sweet?" Luisa smiled. "Somebody likes you!"
"Everyone likes a good game of Pass the Baby now and then," Nell smiled.
After a while, Ricky yawned and started reaching out to his mommy.
"Time for a nap, little guy?" Nell suggested, taking him from Elena. "You can hold him again later, Love Bug," she added, seeing Elena's surprised look. "You were holding him so long that you started to fall asleep. Maybe when he's done with his nap you can play with Zoomer and Kitty."
"Okay," Elena smiled, kissing Ricky's forehead. "Night-night, Ricky!"
"While he's asleep, you have a lot of things to play with," Isabel grinned, taking her and Gabby's hands. "Come on!"
"Bring them back in one piece!" Nell yelled jokingly before spotting herself a cup of tea. "I might need a few cups."
"Oh? Hard day?" Queen Elena joked with a smile.
"You could say that," Nell joked.
"Well, since I have a clear schedule tomorrow, how about you, Queen Miranda, Miss Bianca, Miss Florence, and I have an Avaloran spa day?" Queen Elena suggested. She saw Amber's look of interest, and added, "Princess Amber, you and Sofia are more than welcome to join us too."
"I'd love to!" Amber grinned.
"That's okay; spa days are more Amber's thing than mine," Sofia admitted.
"That's all right, Sofia, but I'd love that," Nell smiled, "But Ricky-"
"Will be fine with me, Madeline, Sabrina, and Sofia watching him," Bobby Lee broke in. "I know that James is going to be competing against Chancellor Esteban in that word game tomorrow night, so they'll be practicing."
"Alright. But please remember the order of his baby food," Nell sighed with a smile. "Mashed banana at breakfast-"
"I know. I saw you labeling everything this morning!" Bobby Lee interrupted with a chuckle. "Including your hairbrush with the word 'MINE' in bold ink!"
"That's because certain little sisters of mine like to borrow my things without asking me first!" Nell whined with crosses arms.
"That was only because I couldn't find my hairbrush at first!" Sabrina protested. "I found it later, in a different drawer than where I usually put it, and I learned my lesson!"
"I know; I've sometimes put my things in a different spot without thinking," Nell smiled. "I remember once that I thought I'd lost Mama's hair clips, but Madeline found them! They looked so pretty in her hair that we agreed that from now on we'd share them."
Madeline smiled at the memory. She'd always loved the butterfly clips she found on Nell's bedroom floor once. She kept them in her hair for safekeeping, and Nell had been so grateful to her that she gave her one as a reward. Madeline's smile widened as she thought of that. Now she had her own personal memento of her mother. True, she had a copy of Lydia's necklace that Cedric made, complete with a picture, but the clip that lived in her memory box that she only wore on special occasions was the real thing for her.
Especially on the day of Nell's marriage to Bobby Lee.
The planning itself had driven her nuts with everything being undecided on. Especially the decision of having the wedding simple or fancy.
Still, everything had gone well. She and Amber had agreed on a compromise: a simply fancy wedding. Everyone loved the sparkling decorations, but the hit of the wedding was Nell's simple dress, complete with flowers in her hair. She, Madeline, and Sabrina had even pressed the flowers afterward, so they'd have mementos of the wedding. Nell smiled; Sabrina had caught the bouquet, and she still had the lace from the holder, which was used as a hat for a doll she'd made. She let Madeline, Elena, and Gabby look at the doll, but they couldn't play with it.
She was shaken from her pleasant daydream by Gabby giggling. "No, Mingo! I'm not food!"
Nell looked up and smiled. Like he had done with James earlier, Mingo was sniffing Gabby and nuzzling her hair. She smiled; Mingo wasn't a dog, so Gabby was doing just fine.
"Mingo likes everyone," Queen Elena grinned, watching the interaction.
"Do they speak?" Nell asked with a smile. "And I mean every jaquin?"
"Elena got excited at the thought of giant and talking flying kitties," Bobby Lee joked with a smile.
"Oh, yes, they talk," Queen Elena smiled, thinking of Skylar, the jaquin she rode whenever she had to ride somewhere on a jaquin.
"You don't need am-u-lets to talk to them?" Elena asked, showing her the pendant around her neck.
"No, everyone in Avalor can understand and speak to Jaquins," Queen Elena explained.
"I wanna see kitties!" Elena giggled, jumping up and down excitedly.
"Did Isa introduce you to one of her inventions?" Queen Elena smirked, seeing her namesake in different clothes.
"The Presto Changer does a great job with any size!" Isabel grinned.
"Oh, Elena Lydia, that's beautiful!" Bianca smiled, "Turn around, let me look at it!"
Elena happily spun around in her new red dress, which looked very similar to the dress she'd worn for Halloween, but not quite as sparkly. However, she didn't care.
"Do all of you want to try it out?" Isabel asked, "And you can keep the outfits that it makes."
"I think we all know the answer to that!" Amber grinned, Nell, Gabby, Sabrina, Madeline, Sofia, Miranda, Florence, and Bianca nodding at her side.
Isabel joined in the laughter as she turned to Roland, James, Bobby Lee, and Ricky. "Don't worry; it doesn't just make dresses. It makes clothes for whoever steps into it."
"That's good to know," Bobby Lee chuckled, "But I think I'd look so cute in a skirt!"
"Daddy!" Elena giggled.
"At least you missed him as a two-year-old playing with mine," Florence smiled in remembrance.
"Daddy play dress up?" Gabby asked with a giggle.
"Can we see?" Elena asked, jumping up and down.
"Maybe after we all try the Presto Changer!" Nell grinned, taking a babbling Ricky in her arms.
"It can even make clothes that fit Ricky," Isabel smiled. She saw Nell's worried look, and assured her, "You can go in with him if you want. I programmed the Presto Changer so it can fit up to two people at once, and it knows what to put on people."
Nell looked relieved when she heard that. "Okay. I'm just trying to keep him safe. I know you'd be careful with him, Princess Isabel, but, well, you know..."
"I know," Isabel smiled. "Elena and I worked out all the kinks when I first brought it to the invention fair, and it's worked really well ever since."
"Let's go!" Madeline yelled, starting to run in excitement.
"Hey! No cheating!" Sabrina giggled, running behind her.
"Never thought they would be excited about dressing up," Bobby Lee smirked, throwing Elena in the air.
"Again! Again!" Elena giggled, clapping her hands.
A few minutes later, everyone from Enchancia was in new Avaloran outfits. "Pretty!" Gabby smiled, looking over her new blue dress.
"This is pretty," Nell agreed, smoothing her red dress, and adjusting Ricky's collar.
"Princess Isabel, you must give me the patterns for these outfits," Bianca smiled, smoothing her green dress.
"Of course I will!" Isabel smiled.
"Do like your outfit little buddy?" Bobby Lee cooed as Nell handed Ricky to him. "Because you're almost like Daddy! Yes you are!"
"And you say I'm ridiculous with the baby talk!" Nell giggled, kissing him on the cheek.
"But you are!" Bobby Lee teased, mussing her hair.
"Oh, so it's okay for you to do it?" Nell smirked.
"When I do it, it's cute, right?" Bobby Lee asked innocently.
"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that," Nell chuckled, having heard Bobby Lee baby-talking Ricky when he thought she wasn't around. "And make sure you don't say anything like that around the guards!"
"Or what?" Bobby Lee smirked, rocking Ricky in his arms.
"I have tapes from when even the girls were babies and I won't be scared to play them in front of your men!" Nell threatened with a laugh.
"Can we hear them?" Madeline asked with a smile.
"Oh I brought a few with me," Nell smirked, kissing her cheek.
"Is it all right if I get some jewelry to go along with this beautiful new dress first?" Amber asked, unknowingly changing the subject as she spun around and admired her new green and gold dress.
"Of course," Queen Elena smiled. "You didn't get much of a chance to see Avalor's marketplace the last time you were here, so why don't I take you on a tour?"
"That's a wonderful idea," Roland smiled.
"You've told us so much about some of the people, and now we'll get to meet them," Miranda agreed.
"We can thank Elena for that!" Sofia laughed, twirling in her new pink dress.
"What tour?" Elena asked in confusion, tugging on Nell's dress.
"It's where you introduce new people to your world," Nell explained before she smirked. "You don't remember your own little tour of the castle?"
"No. Just Mr. Baileywick telling me not to look at rooms," Elena recalled with a frown. "You got it on tape? Like Daddy's baby talk?"
"No, and I'd never play the tapes of Daddy talking like that if he didn't want me to," Nell smiled.
"Thank you," Bobby Lee smirked.
"But only when he's not looking," Nell whispered in Elena's ear.
Ricky cooed excitedly at the thought of a tour, tugging on Bobby lee's collar.
"Someone's excited!" Queen Elena grinned, taking Ricky in her arms.
Ricky cooed excitedly again, pulling on whatever he could find and started chewing on it.
"We can also find something for him to chew on," Florence added, giving Ricky a soft cloth.
"Of course," Queen Elena smiled, "My abuelita told me that when I was teething, she'd put frozen bananas in the freezer, and I'd gnaw on it. Isa liked biting soft cloths like that. As we were making ourselves feel better, our abuelito would play his guitar and sing."
"Music does make everything better," James grinned.
"One of the philosophies he lives by!" Queen Elena smiled, mussing his hair.
Ricky chewed on the soft cloth, cooing a little bit. He heard about his big sister's idol in the letters she had gotten for Wassailia but the thought of being in her arms made him squeal in excitement.
"He's never squealed like that before," Nell grinned, seeing Ricky kick his legs excitedly.
"Next thing you know he'll probably sit up in her arms," Bobby Lee joked as Sabrina and Madeline giggled softly.
"Maybe, but I think he's mostly excited about being in Avalor, surrounded by flying kitties, and being held by Queen Elena," Nell smiled.
"Who wouldn't be excited about that?" Madeline grinned.
"Because how often do we get to come here?" Sabrina added.
"Never!" All three laughed, giving Elena kisses.
Elena giggled at the sudden attention she was getting as she thought of the giant kitties she had heard about in the letters she had gotten.
Everything in Avalor sounded exciting as she begged Queen Elena to start the tour.
"Okay, everyone, let's go!" Queen Elena cheered.
"You go on ahead, Prince James," Esteban urged when James started to protest that he had to practice for their game that night, "It's only a game, which I do want to compete against you in, but like Miss Sabrina said, how often are you in Avalor?"
"Okay," James nodded.
