Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. I don't own the plot either; it was originally homegrownoregano's.
"But I hate dresses, mommy!" Kensi whined as her mother held up the puffy white dress she had got especially for Kensi.
"Come on, Kensi," Julia coaxed. "You'll look so cute in this dress!"
"No!" Kensi shouted, stomping her foot. "I don't wanna wear the stupid dress!"
"Kensi," Julia warned, raising one eyebrow. She put the dress down on the table. Kensi stamped her foot again.
"No!" she declared loudly. "I'm not wearing that dress! It's yucky!"
"Kensi, put it on."
"No!"
"Kensi." Julia raised her voice, only angering the little girl even further.
"NO!"
"Kensi Marie Blye!" Julia finally snapped. The little girl stopped and stared her mother straight in the eye. When her full name was used, it was never good, but Kensi was more angry than scared. Julia sighed when she saw Kensi's expression and rubbed her brow.
"We both need to take some time out," she decided. "Go to your room, Kensi."
"But-"
"Go."
Kensi dared not argue with her mother when she used that tone, and scampered up the stairs. She shut the door to her room and clambered up onto her bed, and then picked up Donny, her stuffed dog.
"It's not fair, Donny," she whined to the stuffed animal. "Why does mommy get all mad at me because I don't wanna wear a stupid dress? She knows I hate dresses. If daddy were here, he'd no make me wear the dress."
Donny nodded his head (even though it was just Kensi making him do it). Kensi then snuggled Donny up to her chest and rocked herself gently.
A little while later, there was a soft tap on her door. Kensi looked up but didn't say anything and heard her mother's voice on the other side of the door.
"Could I come in, Kensi?"
When there was no response, Julia opened the door to check that her daughter was okay. She was greeted by her four-year-old's mismatched eyes peeking over the top of her stuffed dog. She sat down on the side of the bed and placed a hand on Kensi's back, which, surprisingly, was not pulled away from.
"I'm sorry about earlier, Kensi," she apologised. "I just really want you to wear that dress."
"I really don't wanna wear the dress," Kensi answered quietly. Julia rubbed her back and managed a small smile.
"I know. I just, well..." Julia paused for effect. Kensi dropped Donny on the bed and turned fully to her mother.
"What?"
"I kind of promised a very, very special guest that you'd be wearing that dress at your birthday party," Julia informed Kensi with a twinkle in her eye.
"Really?" Kensi propped herself up on her knees. "Who?"
Julia merely smiled mysteriously.
Soon enough, Kensi's fifth birthday rolled around. Kensi wandered around the dining room, making sure Julia had gotten all the foods she liked. She was dressed in her puffy white dress, just as her mother had wanted, even though she still hated it.
She smoothed at the skirt part, trying to squish it down a bit. Kensi thought the way it ballooned out was super ugly. Also, what was with the pink ribbon around her waist? It was so girly, it was disgusting.
It was then that she spotted the red soda.
Kensi's little (now five-year-old) mind lit up with a genius plan. If she could somehow "accidentally" spill that stuff on her dress, she would have a reason not to wear it. And her mother wouldn't be able to blame her. After all, it would only be an accident!
So, she picked up a cup and took a sip before "accidentally" dumping the rest on her dress.
"Uh oh," Kensi giggled to herself. Julia poked her head into the room upon hearing Kensi's little giggle and shook her head.
"Kensi..."
"It was an accident, mommy!" she protested. "I was thirsty, but the party excitement made my hands shaky and it spilled!"
Julia sighed. Her daughter was way too canny. There was no way she could get all the red out of that dress in the next five minutes, and there was certainly no time to get another one. Things would simply have to be done Kensi's way this time. She sighed again.
"Go get changed," Julia instructed and went back to whatever she was doing.
Kensi nodded and hurried up to her room. At the top of the stairs, she did a little victory dance. Her plan had worked, and there was no way her mother would cancel the special guest. She did a little skip as she entered her room.
Kensi almost tore off the nightmare outfit and snuggled into something much more comfortable.
An hour into the party (in which, no accidents happened; real or set up), there was a knock on the front door. Kensi yelped with excitement: it was her special guest. Or at least, she hoped it was.
"Is that the special guest, mommy?" Kensi asked and beamed when her mother nodded. Kensi jumped up as the door opened and her daddy walked in.
"Daddy!" she screeched and jumped into his arms.
"Hey, babygirl!" he chuckled.
Donald Blye hugged his daughter close and planted a kiss on top of her head. Kensi then pulled her head back to see her father's face.
"Happy birthday...but where's that dress your mommy was telling me about a lot?" he wondered. Kensi pulled her best innocent face.
"I was thirsty, and so I started to have some red soda," she explained. "But then the party excitement gave me shaky hands and I spilled it!"
Donald didn't need to study his daughter's face closely to know that she was lying. There was a twinkle in her eye and a very poorly hidden smile on her lips. He just laughed.
"Is that so?" Kensi nodded.
"And now the dress is ruined and I can't wear it."
This just made Donald laugh even harder. He had told Julia she could never make Kensi wear the dress. Also, he didn't count on how cunning his daughter could be to get out of wearing the dress.
"Donald!" Julia scolded quietly, but Donald just grinned at her.
"I told you you could never make her wear a dress!" he laughed. Julia glared at him.
"Donald!"
"Aw, come on Julia, lighten up! It's just a dress after all! Let's have some fun! This is a party, after all!" He placed Kensi down on the ground, who tugged him over to her friends. He sat down amongst them and then looked up at Julia with a teasing sparkle in his eyes.
"We still do have cake though, right?"