The next morning Karen was found smiling in her own bed slowly opening her eyes to find Pixie licking her face her tail wagging a mile a minute.
"We did it girl we survived the whole night in my room and you didn't even howl once" Karen said hopping from her bed as Pixie followed her downstairs to find John on the couch watching TV, Lucas doing homework, Noel sitting at a table by herself a stout on her face, and Ginger on the phone.
"Morning everyone and I would like to announce that Pixie and I survived our first night in my room during the loudest thunderstorm ever".
"Good for you sweetie I know how hard it is for you not to run and get in our bed. No mom not you I was talking to Karen who has taken giant steps sleeping in her own room last night" Ginger said as Noel moaned staring out at the sunlit yard.
"I don't want to hear it Noel you brought this upon yourself for the actions you've exhibited in the past couple days" John said as Karen slid next to him on the couch snuggling next to him.
"So daddy what are we doing today? Because I was thinking maybe we could go to the park as a family and have a picnic" Karen said as Noel jumped up and grabbed Karen's jacket holding it out to her.
"Sorry sweetie but Noel doesn't deserve to go out anywhere today. She's been very bad and it's about time your mom and I showed her we mean business".
"It's fine let's have an indoor picnic I mean it could be fun like when we went indoor camping because a thunderstorm got us rained in" Karen said spreading a blanket in the middle of a section of the hardwood floor giggling as Pixie sat in the middle of the blanket sniffing around the room.
"Well aren't you just full of imagination and I would love to join you for your indoor picnic sweetie. I'll make sandwiches and lemonade and I'm sure daddy will make cheesecake your favorite" Ginger said pulling out a picnic basket and a pitcher.
"I'm going to start on the cheesecake and Heather called saying she was on her way home. So maybe she can join us for our indoor picnic also" John said as Noel grumbled great under her breath hating that Karen had an imagination and they were now having an indoor instead of outdoor picnic.
"He, he come on Pixie let's go find you some treats and your food bowl and water dish so you can join our indoor picnic".
The front door opened and Heather walked in seeing Karen set up for the picnic and she beamed having a new found love for Karen and her imagination.
"Hey Kare so what's going on an indoor picnic? If so I'll go get some cookies and ice cream if you like and FYI I think Karenish is the language of speaking today" Heather said walking into the kitchen and Noel whispered oh no under her breath.
"Yeh Leon s'tahw pu I neam yhw era uoy os ynworf yadot?" Karen asked talking backwards or Karenish as Ginger deemed it and Karen knew it drove Noel crazy.
"Shut it backwards talker you know I hate when you do it. I mean talk normal and get your head out of the clouds for two seconds you little brat" Noel said her voice matching her stout.
"Em on tarb em tsuj gnyrt ot ekam ruoy efil erom nuf Leon. I neam tsuj yrt ot ees efil hguorht ym seye dna ll'uoy ees yhw I klat ckab sdraw ot yonna uoy".
Noel sighed angrily and walked away knowing it was the best way to shut Karen up when she was speaking Karenish.
"You- are- so- dead- Heather- Louise- Foutley- It's- your- fault- she's- out- there- talking- backwards- and- annoying- me- to- no- end".
"Well we'd be able to have an outdoor picnic if someone didn't take it upon themselves to smoke pot and drink beer" Heather said placing a cookie sheet in the oven as Karen walked in her nose sniffing and she licked her lips.
"I'm not talking backwards I have no idea what Noel is saying. I think she needs her hearing checked because it's not like I'm speaking Ferb Latin or something like that".
"You little instigator you were just out there having a full conversation with me in Karenish as mom so loves to call it" Noel said anger flooding in her voice.
"So not I ditched Karenish when mama and dada said that if I continued speaking it I'd be grounded for my whole life" Karen said sitting on a stool watching John make his cheesecake.
"I have to admit that she hasn't spoken Karenish since she was two and threatened with a whole life of grounding" Ginger said ruffling Karen's hair and joining her at the counter.
"You weren't out there three minutes ago mother because she was fluent in Karenish and you would have grounded her right then and there".
"Nuh uh I've forgotten Karenish to tell you the truth but if you'd like me to get the book of phrases mommy wrote down when she thought Karenish was cute I can".
"Ugh I hate you to no end Karen I mean why would I scare you all the time?, Ignore you when you're around?, and last but not least curse your name on any given day?" Noel asked as Karen's eyes watered up and she ran from the kitchen crying.
"Well looks like our pot smoking, beer guzzling, innocent girl beating daughter has went to a new low. She's an imaginer at heart Noel why don't you stop and think about how you were at her age?" Ginger asked running off to console Karen with Heather shoving Noel and following Ginger.
"Hey I was just trying to get the four year olds head out of the clouds and show her that INDOOR PICNICS CEASE TO EXIST!"
"You know when you were Karen's age you had an imagination too Noel. Problem is you grew up way too fast and your imagination has shut the door on you and locked it" John said continuing making his cheesecake.
"Oh please I was forced to grow up too fast when Karen was born so I could get an eyebrow raised in my direction" Noel said hating Karen even more for coming up with the indoor picnic idea.
"Why does she have to be such a crybaby all the time? I mean I wasn't as whiny, needy, or scared of everything as she is when I was her age".
"Sure you were but you were so young that as you grew you trained your mind to get rid of everything that scared you, made you needy, or whiny. Just ask Heather she roomed with you she knows how whiny, needy, and scared of everything you were".
"Whatever all's I'm saying is that Karen needs to get her head out of the clouds and quick if she wants to go to Masterson Prep. If she doesn't get her head out of the clouds she's going to be eaten alive" Noel said walking out of the kitchen to see how much damage she caused to Karen.
In Karen's room we see Pixie on her bed licking the crying lump of cover's that was Karen as Ginger and Heather tried their best to make Karen happy again.
"You know she didn't mean what she said Karen I mean Noel was just being Noel mean, nasty, and a smart alleck" Ginger said hugging Karen and making a disgusted face due to Pixie's slobber all over Karen's blanket.
"Eww dog slobber here Heather you try I'm going to make an ice cream sundae and get a soda which I know is my little FIFI's favorite snack".
Ginger stormed from the room and found Noel gently climbing the stairs scared that her true feelings for Karen may come out if she walked into Karen's room.
"You know Noel Angel Foutley I have got her through a lot of crying fits but this particular one shows no sign of stopping soon and it all could have been avoided if you would have just chose your words more carefully".
"Mother just shut it all right I'm on my way to fix it so spare me the after school special speech" Noel said slowly making her way to Karen's room.
"Any slower and it'll be next year by the time you get there. I don't know what you're so scared of anyways I mean she's just a four year old like any other four year old in the world".
"I'm scared that she'll see through my feelings for her ok? I mean I don't hate her but it's required that I hate her like you hated Uncle Carl when you two were growing up I'm sure".
"Noel that is the first time in a long time that I heard you say that you were scared of something sweetie. Truthfully your uncle and I were like cats and dogs growing up but I never completely shut him out like you're doing with Heather and Karen".
"Yea well I don't see them playing the welcoming committee either. I mean Heather and I were inseperable last week and today she's chummy with Hope Masterson the Princess of Masterson Academy" Noel said following Ginger into the kitchen to help with the sundae.
"I just wish I could put myself in Karen's shoes but I was so small and young at the time that I forgot all the things that make Karen so great".
"Of course you forgot because you were busy fighting for your dad's and my attention when Karen was born. You grew up to fast because you thought you needed to and that's not true" Ginger said scooping vanilla ice cream into a bowl.
"Mom we need to hurry the ice cream up because she's tugging at my heart strings and it's all Noel's fault for the things she said to Karen" Heather said mascara stains around the rims of her eyes.
"I'll go talk to her seeing that I think she just needs a big sis to little sis talk and she can't tug at my heart strings like she does to you and mom" Noel said climbing the stairs still scared of what Karen might see inside of her but she knew that it was either now or never.
Noel walked into Karen's room to see Pixie still licking the lump under the blanket that was bawling her eyes out.
"Beat it doggie I have sister to sister bonding to do and I don't need small, furry, and slobbery on my tail".
Pixie growled at Noel and ran out leaving her with Karen whose blue eyes were the only things poking out from under the blankets.
"All right Karen I admit what I said back there was a bad choice of words but I didn't mean any of them" Noel said crawling under the blankets with Karen.
"Yea- well- if- you- didn't- mean- them- then- why- would- you- say- them- to- me? And- why- do- the- words- make- me- feel- so- bad?" Karen asked in between sobs.
"Because A I'm a teensy tiny miniscule jealous of you because you're the youngest. And B words hurt and I should have thought about that before I said what I did".
Karen snuggled close to Noel and stopped crying her red hair sticking all over her face and she swiped it away thinly smiling and kissing Noel's cheek.
"You know that whole Karenish language is pretty cool Kare. I think I had a language when I was a kid both Heather and I did because we were twins and usually finished each other's sentence's" Noel said slowly taking the blanket off of her and Karen to find Ginger and Heather smiling down at them.
"Ice cream sundaes ladies and Noel I think what you told me in the hall would be really nice to say to Karen right about now?" Ginger said as Noel smiled and looked down at Karen.
"Karen I want you to know that I love you and I always will no matter what words I say to you. I mean you're my little sister and I will always protect you because I have been since you were born".
"Aww I love you too Noel because you're older than me and I'm sure there are things you can teach me at being four years old" Karen said kissing Noel and Heather and then stood up brushing her hair and grabbing Pixie's leash.
"So let's have the best indoor picnic we can. Then we can rent videos and have a girl's night while daddy and Lucas go wherever it is they go when we have a girl's night".
"I'm going to have to take a rain check on that Kare sorry baby. I already promised daddy that him and I could have a night to ourselves tonight" Ginger said as Karen hugged Noel and Heather smiling at them.
"So how's about it girl's we can still have a girls night just the three of us with Lucas in his room or wherever he wants to be".
"Hey I have no problem with that and I'm sure Noel and her newfound love for us would love to be there too" Heather said as Ginger smiled down at her three girls and led them downstairs for the indoor picnic.
"Hey Luke I want to warn you that the girl's and I are having a girl's night tonight so you can stay here if you like or you could sleep somewhere else" Karen said giggling as Pixie pulled the picnic blanket around the hallway.
"Pixie you naughty puppy get over here and bring the picnic blanket with you girl. I know I was sad like a decade ago but I'm back to my happy self and that gives you no right to be naughty".
As if Karen was her master Pixie ran back to the middle of the living room and dropped the now damp picnic blanket in front of her.
"I wish Pixie was like that when I told her to do something Kare. I mean it takes a million times of me telling her to sit before she actually does it" Ginger said as Pixie heard sit and did it.
"Ok now she's just showing off but at least she's giving attention to the person who named her after Pixie Hollow".
Pixie crawled up to Karen and laid her head on Karen's kneecap licking her lips and staring at the now finished cheesecake of John's.
"No Pixie you stay and don't you dare eat that cake because if you do you'll be very naughty and I'll make you sleep outside in your doghouse" Karen said pointing to a pathetic looking doghouse.
Pixie whined but stayed where she was as her food and water dish were pushed to her and her face launched into the food bowl with the Foutley family laughing.
"I guess that's Pixie telling us to let the Foutley indoor picnic begin. Either that or she's really impatient and just needs to eat something" Ginger said still giggling and passing out sandwiches and bottles of soda and condiments to everybody.
"MMMMMMMM I can't wait to eat mama's Italian Grinders because she really takes her time and makes eat bite better than the last".
"Yea in fact that was one of the reasons I started dating her. Your mom worked at this pizzeria to pay her way through school and I became their best customer ever Friday after 5 was half off for College Students" John said as Ginger giggled loving this story.
"Of course I had a blue streak in my hair back then and your dad never introduced himself personally. He called himself The Boy I Sat Behind In English Lit".
"Cool can I get a blue streak in my hair mom? I mean if you did it, and Noel has pink hair, then my red hair with a blue streak should be fine right?" Heather asked her mind working overdrive in what she would look like with a blue streak in her hair.
"Sure I mean I'm all about individuality Heather sweetie. That's what the blue streak was for to show my individuality off to others".
"She changed it after College when your Grandma hit the roof and forced her to either change it or move out of her house".
"She was more used to me having just red hair no blue streaks or feathers which I also took to wearing in my hair in College".
"So anyway I went to the pizzeria one night and spent the whole time staring at your mom who noticed me staring but was too proud to say anything" John said as Ginger giggled and smacked him.
"Tell the story right John. I did notice and I walked to his table, sat down, and asked if he was having a staring contest with me? Which to that he replied in macho style well maybe I am and maybe I aint and this word got to me because I was A English major and aint isn't a word" Ginger said kissing John.
"So we talked awhile but she still never got my name I made her work for that. It took her all of two seconds to get it and from then on we were inseperable".
"Yea we had some wild times in College like our first date where my gothic, Emo, I Hate The Whole World roommate ruined Titanic for us".
"Sure beats our second date The Inferno. I wanted to spend some time alone with your mother in my dorm and to set the mood I lit some vanilla bean candles much to your mother's complaints".
"Lesson kids when mom says don't do something we don't do it and your father learned that the hard way. See I told him not to set the candles on fire because of the billowing curtains in the room and I knew without a shadow of a doubt they were a fire hazard".
"So I start kissing your mother hoping to silence her complaints and that worked for the time being. We lied in my bed about to do the deed as they call it for little girl ears and all of a sudden I smell smoke and so did the smoke detector".
"So I sighed and told him I told you so which in that case called for it. I knew we were in trouble because what started as a small fire spread and I screamed for help while your father kept repeating relax baby I got this" Ginger said as all the kids laughed and John even stifled a giggle.
"So Chief Kilgallen then the boss of our floor ran up to the door and chopped it down with an axe ushering us out and spraying a fire extinguisher on the fire and your mom went from being her enemy to being her friend" John said finishing the story as Ginger snuggled up to him taking a bite of his sandwich.
"MMM I definitely made this one better than mine wanna share? If not I'm snagging this one and you can have mine".
John broke his sandwich in half as Ginger did the same to hers and they each gave each other a half of the others sandwich.
"The day we met still remains a secret to all of you kids. I don't know how your dad was able to keep it a secret from everyone.
"Excuse me but I-I-I-I want a soda so I'll be back. Does anybody else want anything while I'm up? Lucas asked dashing off as Ginger gently held up a bottle of Coke with Lucas's name literally on it.
"I think I'm just going to see what our genius son is up to Jonny. You stay here and watch the girls and Pixie" Ginger said smiling a sly smile and walking into the kitchen.
"What do I do, what do I do, what do I do? On the one hand dad tells me something but on the other mom's playing it off like she already knows".
"Hey Luke so how about we sit and chat about what dad told you and what mom's playing off like she already knows".
"Ahh mom don't sneak up on me like that. I mean are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Lucas asked holding his neck trying to slow his heartbeat down.
"So again I say let's chit chat because I know you know something and your dad was the one who told you something" Ginger said leading Lucas to the counter.
"You'll never get it out of me I promised Dad I'd never tell. How did you know I was up to something anyway?"
"Because you left this in the picnic basket Yogi and it has your name written all over it. Now I don't know about you but I think a genius would have picked up on that".
You'll never get it out of me so I don't know why you're trying mother. I mean A man's word is his honor and I promised dad nothing I repeat N-O-T-H-I-N-G nothing would be said by any of us".
"Fine then I guess you wouldn't want one of these would you? They come from Tobias's the best candy store in town and mmm they sure are amazing" Ginger said popping a chocolate covered strawberry into her mouth knowing it was Lucas's guilty pleasure.
"M-Mom please stop that their too delicious looking so just put them back and learn to deal with the fact that I know something you don't for once" Lucas said his voice cracking with nervousness.
"Mmm smell it they are just ripe for the eating and all's you have to do is tell me exactly what your dad spoke to you about our first meeting word for word".
"Mom as I said my word is my honor and it's going to take more than the best chocolate covered strawberries to get me to talk".
"Fine more for me and I can eat these by the handful Luke. Just think Tobias's and Mr. Tobias said these were your all time favorite" Ginger said popping another one into her mouth.
"All right dad said he noticed your G string not you for you when you two first met. He said he walked into the door and you giggled but continued to wear your pants low" Lucas said snatching the bag from Ginger and hungrily throwing two chocolate covered strawberries into his mouth.
"Of course he noticed my G string first I made sure every boy I liked in College saw it. I mean your dad had to know that I wasn't exactly the fitted pants wearer in College".
"Lucas just tell her I won't think any less of you if you do. I can't believe she's stooping so low as to buy chocolate- covered- strawberries. All right how much did he tell you?" John asked seeing the bag in Lucas's hands.
"You weren't the first one to notice my G string John I wore my pants loose for a reason. I wanted boy's to notice my G string first because it's what got me all my boyfriends in High School".
"All right and are you honestly going to look me in the eyes and tell me that you aren't even a little mad that I noticed your G string first".
"Of course I wouldn't have been mad Jonny. I mean look at the odds stacked with us would ya? We dated through College, got our first house together, got married, and we had four beautiful kids".
"Fine then I guess since you aren't mad then I won't be sleeping on the couch tonight?" John asked as Ginger giggled kissing him and leading him back to the picnic.
"So Luke the same rules apply tonight Karen, Heather, and Noel have run of the basement and you have run of the rest of the house. Maybe you can even bring a girl over tonight I mean it's not like we'd care or anything" Ginger said as Lucas knew the perfect girl to call and it was Dodie Sheppard's daughter.
Well that's it for now so R&R and I'll hit you back with another chapter soon.