"Isn't this a good game, Tommy?" Chuckie said as he rolled the ball to Phil. "One of the first ones we ever played. You came up with it, remember?"
The Tommy Cookie merely stood propped up against some blocks.
Dil forced himself to smile. "It… fun! But…uh… you no play! Too little!" He turned to the Tommy Cookie and nodded his head. "You watch!" He gave another nod before looking back to the others, his smile falling and tears forming in his eyes. In a whisper he thought his brother couldn't hear Dil said, "How help Tommy?"
"I don't know, Dil," Kimi said. "Maybe Angelica knows."
"But she said Tommy was a cookie forever!" Lil said, looking over at Angelica who was coloring in her coloring book… and looking rather distracted. "Right Angelica?"
"What?" the 3 year old snapped, eyes wide before looking back at her book. "I don't know. Don't talk to me!" She kept going over it in her head… she'd lied about the cookies when she'd seen that weird one that kinda looked like Tommy. She'd figured that it would be like all the other times she'd lied to the babies: they'd believe her, get freaked out, do some stupid stuff to undo it, and then Tommy would walk in from where ever he was hiding and she'd laugh at them being so guidable.
But… Tommy hadn't come back. Aunt Didi hadn't even set out a plate for him. Angelica might think Tommy was a dumb baby who could stand to lose a few pounds but she knew her Aunt loved Tommy. She wouldn't ever let him miss a meal. And then he hadn't shown up in the playpen either. Just… the cookie.
All of this she might have written off if it had just been Tommy. But Susie had disappeared after spilling her water and then they'd seen the cookie that looked like HER…
"No… no. There must be something else going on," she whispered to herself.
Still, she decided to ignore the babies and just focus on coloring, so she wasn't tempted to yell at them.
Just in case.
"I hope we can make Tommy back into a baby," Lil said. "And Susie too."
"Yeah," Kimi said. "They aren't fun as cookies."
"And I'm getting hungry," Phil admitted, licking his lips.
Dil let out a cry and quickly grabbed the Tommy Cookie, cradling it close. "NO! My bruder!" He turned his back to Phil and began to stroke the cookie's head. "It okay… I help. I dos it!" He nodded firmly as the Tommy Cookie just smiled at him.
"It's okay Dil," Chuckie assured him. "We won't hurt Tommy." Dil, very slowly, let go of the Cookie and set it back down against the blocks.
"Maybe we need to play with him," Kimi suggested. "If we do and he's really good at being a baby maybe he'll become a baby again!"
"That makes sense!" Chuckie said. "If he isn't acting like a cookie then he won't be a cookie no mores!"
"What should we play then?" Lil asked, tilting her head. "He can't really grab anything. He's too little."
"And he don't gots any fingers," Phil pointed out.
Kimi gasped in delight. "Oh! I know! Let's go on an adventure! Tommy loves adventures!"
"Hey… you're right!" Chuckie said, warming up to the idea. "Tommy is always suggesting fun adventures… sometimes when I sleep over here he'll even wake me up to go on one!" He frowned. "I usually say no because I want to go to sleep… but we could go on a nice simple one!"
Phil nodded. "Yeah!" he paused. "But what should we do?"
"We could go outside," Lil suggested, pointing out the sliding glass door to the yard, where Spiffy and Spike were playing. The babies smiled, liking that idea… until Spiffy ran over to a box of doggie treats Stu had forgotten to put away and tore into it, chomping on the treats and sending crumbles everywhere. All the little ones stared in horror at the sight, Kimi reaching over and slowly rotating Tommy Cookie so he couldn't see the carnage.
"Uh… maybe not," Phil said softly, Lil quickly nodding in agreement.
"It needs to be something that safe for Tommy to do," Chuckie said. He sat there and tapped his forehead. "We don't want to risk him turning into crumblies."
Dil swallowed at that and patted the cookie on the back, offering him comfort.
Kimi instantly brightened up. "I know… let's just do something in the living room! We can have plenty of adventures here!"
"Yeah… but what should we play?" Chuckie repeated.
Dil, looking around, spotted their toy train and gasped. "Choo choo!" He said. He stuck the Tommy Cookie in his onsie again before crawling over to it, gently putting Tommy Cookie in one of the train cars. "We ride! Tommy safe! Choo choo choo!"
"Good idea, Dil!" Phil praised. "We can travel by train through the country, just like when we toured America on the bus!" He looked out over the living room and saw it transformed into the American west, with mountains and canyons and great deserts.
"Yeah!" Lil said in agreement. "We can show Tommy all sorts of places just like we showed you Dil, and then he'll remember how to be a baby and become Tommy again!"
"Yay!" Dil exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air… and toppling backwards because he was still a little wobbly. "Oompf."
Kimi smiled, looking about. "I'll be the train conbuctor! And Chuckie can take tickets!"
Phil grew excited. "Lil and I will point out stops!"
The girl nodded. "And Dil can keep the train running."
Kimi stood up. "But we'll need tickets… and a conbuctor's hat!"
"Tommy has a conbuctor's hat in his bedroom," Chuckie pointed out. "And I know where his mommy keeps the clicker thing that makes holes."
"I gets it!" Dil said… still lying on the ground. He wiggled, arms and legs thrashing slightly as he tried to get up. "Uh… I gets it?" he said, still trying to figure out how to get moving.
"We'll get them, Dil," Chuckie said, walking over to help Dil up while Kimi used one of Tommy's emergency screwdrivers to open the playpen. "You stay here and guard Tommy." He and Dil glanced at Phil… who was eyeing up the train and Tommy Cookie while licking his hips. Dil squawked in horror and crawled over, throwing himself on the train to protect it.
"You babies shouldn't do that," Angelica warned. "You know Aunt Didi wants you to stay there."
"We get out all the time," Kimi told her though with a smile. "We'll be fine!" Chuckie nodded, not even having a moment to be scared as he focused on helping his best friend.
Kimi hurried out of the playroom, making her way towards the stairs. Getting up them was always a little bit tricky but she was sure she could easily make her way to Tommy's room and get the hat. She was so focused on what she was doing… she didn't hear the front door open. Nor did she realize someone was heading towards her till she was snatched up…
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Betty, Kira, and Didi had brought the cookies back to the table and were working on the next set. "I think your cookies look better than mine," Didi said with a sigh, looking at the rather odd looking cookie she'd been trying to make.
Betty reached over and examined it. "Looks like a fine Angelica to me."
"It's supposed to be Dil."
"…ah," Betty said before biting the head off and eating it. "Well, tastes good all the same."
Didi sighed and tossed that cookie aside, deciding to start on another one. "Thank goodness everyone loves cookies… we'll have enough rejected ones to last us for weeks."
"Ha!" Betty said with a laugh. "With the way the pups eat they'll last days. And with Stuie and Howie and the rest it will be hours!"
"What will be hours?" Chas said as he entered through the back door.
"How long the gingerbread cookies last. The ones we don't use." Kira smiled as Chas leaned down and gave her a light kiss.
"They are turning out great!" He picked up Didi's cookie. "This looks just like Chuckie!"
"It's Dil," Didi said dryly.
"Oh." Chas set it down, shaking his head. Kira just shrugged; she'd thought it was Phil.
"How are ya Chas?" Betty asked.
"Pretty good though I'm a bit confused… Lou gave me twenty dollars and told me to describe exactly what you gals were making-"
"Oooooooh!" Didi grumbled, turning to see Lou peaking in through the kitchen window, a camera in hand. "You get out of here you no good cheat!" Lou let out a yelp and raced away before Didi could even get out of her chair.
"Do… do I even want to know?" Chas asked.
"Probably for the best you don't," Kira said with a soft smile. "What are you doing here?"
"The optometrist called… Chuckie's new glasses came in early."
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Kira said with a grin. She turned to Didi. "Chuckie is so excited… they look like his old glasses but they are much more durable."
Chas began to tick off the points. "Shatterproof frames and lenses, scratch resistant, 10% tinting while in the sun, anti-fog, able to withstand a fall from lower orbit… we really went all out."
"They sound better than my glasses!" Didi exclaimed.
Betty snickered. "Probably why your Dil cookie looks like Stu." Didi just glowered at her for that.
"How goes the cookie making?" Chas asked.
"Pretty good. We finally settled on the Tommy and Susie cookies and I think we're good on Chuckie and Kimi. I was trying to do Dil but I think I'll just switch to the twins next. The cookies are already so small and Dil's needs to be tinier than the rest."
Chas picked up a cookie that looked like Chuckie; it was one of the rejected ones but only because the hair wasn't quite right. Close though. "Aw… I remember when he was this small!" He paused, blinking at that. "Actually no, I don't." He let out an embarrassed laugh, tucking the cookie in his pocket so he could show his son. "Anyway, I thought I'd pick him up and take him now. That way he can come back and play more with his friends." He turned only to see Chuckie walking by with a Hole Punch. "Hey little guy!" Chas said, Chuckie starting at the surprise arrival of his dad. Chas walked up and lifted him, not realizing that Chuckie had dropped the Hole Punch and he'd dropped the Chuckie Cookie. "Guess what? Your new glasses came in!"
Chuckie beamed at that. His daddy had told him about the new glasses and he was so excited! They would never break or cloud over and he could have a ton of fun without ever worrying about ruining them! Laughing and kicking his feet a little he hugged his daddy in delight, forgetting all about the cookie issue.
"Come on, let's go get'em, okay?" Chas waved goodbye to the moms and headed out the door… just as Aunt Miriam walked in with a giggling Kimi.
"Oh Miriam, I didn't know you were coming for a visit!"
"Spur of the moment, Gigi!" Miriam said. "A friend of mine came into town and I decided to visit. Let myself in, hope you don't mind." She lifted up Kimi. "Hey Kira, I noticed this little gal's boots are getting a bit snug."
Kira nodded, setting one of the extra Kimi cookies on a plate. "Yes. I've been meaning to get her new shoes but Kimi so loves her boots…"
"Gal after my own heart! Love that cowboy stuff. Listen, I know a guy downtown, Rosco. Always cuts me a great deal. Why don't I take this bag of sugar down there and get her new boots? I think I'll get some myself!"
"Oh, would you?" Kira said in surprised delight. "That would be so kind!"
Miriam waved her off. "No trouble at all!" She lifted Kimi up. "Hear that? You and Aunt Miriam are going to get new boots!" Kimi, like her brother, forgot all about the worries of the morning and threw her hands out wide in celebration. "I think that's a yes."
"Miriam, one thing before you go," Didi said as Betty grabbed some undecorated cookies and loaded them up on the plate for the babies to munch on. "Lou didn't ask you to spy on us, did he?"
"Not yet but knowing him he will. He told me that new wife of his was entering some baking contest. You gals doing the same?" The three women nodded. "Bake me a batch of gingersnaps before I leave town and I'll feed him false info."
"Deal," Didi said with a grin and Miriam headed out.
In the playroom the other babies were setting up just where the train would go, imagining all the fun places they could show Tommy. Dil was lying on his belly next to his brother, telling the cookie in his own limited way how great the train ride would be and how Tommy would be so excited he'd turn back into a baby!
"Choo choo to hillies! Then lakes! Choo… choo!" Dil said excitedly. "It funs Tommy!"
The cookie fell down into the train car.
"Oh… cookies need more nappies." Dil nodded his head and turned to the others. "Shhhhh."
Phil and Lil nodded and moved quietly around the room while Angelica continued to nervously color… secretly hoping that this dumb baby plan wouldn't be dumb and actually work and then they could save Susie.
"Hey ya pups!" Betty said, walking in with the plate of gingerbread. "Got some treats for ya! Dig in!"
"YAY!" Phil exclaimed, rushing over as soon as the tray was set down, stuffing his face with cookies. Lil joined him and the two noisily chomped down on the gingerbread, mouths open as they caused wet crumbles to fly all over.
"What's wrong, Angelica?" Betty asked. "Don't want any?"
"Uh… I'll wait," she said. "Mrs. Deville, have you seen Kimi?" She was hoping she'd be back soon so they could begin on trying to change Tommy back.
"Oh… sorry there but Kimi ain't gonna be around ta play." She smiled and headed off, leaving Angelica confused.
"What did she mean by that?" she asked, walking over to the playpen.
"I-" Phil swallowed, "-don't know! But I bet Kimi shows up soon!"
Lil looked down and went pale. "I… I think she did show up." She pointed a trembling finger at the plate… and the Kimi Cookie that lay on the bottom of the pile.
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee," Dil whined in fear, scurrying away as quick as he could on his rump as Phil looked at a half eaten cookie before spitting it out.
"Ew!" Lil exclaimed. "Phillip, don't do that, it isn't nice!"
"Well it's not nice to talk with your mouth full, Lillian!"
"At least I didn't spit my cookie out!"
"I swallowed most of them!"
"STOP!" Dil screamed in a panic. "No be bad! Or cookies!" He pointed at the Kimi Cookie and then the twins, causing them to gulp.
"But… what did Kimi do that was so bad?" Lil asked before gasping. "She left the playpen!"
"Chuckie!" Phil exclaimed, looking at the stairs. "We have to save him!" He moved to get out only for Dil to throw a block at him. "Ow!"
"No go!" Dil warned. "Bad… cookie."
"Dil's right… Kimi left the playpen and she was turned into a cookie. If we go…" she shuddered.
"I… I'll go and find Chuckie," Angelica said, trying to sound brave. "You… you dumb babies just stay here." She wasn't stuck in the playpen so she could roam around. She headed towards the office, murmuring to herself, "Has to be another explanation. There just has to be! People don't become cookies… I made that up! It isn't real!" She turned and went down the hallway. "I'll find Finster and he'll be fine and-"
She froze.
Slowly reaching down… she picked up the Chuckie-shapped cookie that was lying next to the hole punch.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Angelica screamed, rushing back to the playpen and diving inside before moving to sit next to Dil.
"What's wrong?" Phil asked.
Angelica held up the Chuckie cookie.
"Noooooooo," Dil whimpered, tears in his eyes. "Cookies! They cookies!"
"We can't leave the playpen!" Angelica wailed. "It isn't safe! The Gingerbread Man will get us!" Phil and Lil ran over, grabbing the Kimi and Tommy cookies before the four huddled together nervously. They sat there for a very long time, just staring at the living room, trying to be good. Lil and Phil murmured they were sorry for eating with their mouths full while Dil just rocked back and forth, stroking the Tommy Cookie and promising it would be okay.
Before long the tension left them yawning and weary and, despite all their efforts… the four kids went to sleep.
"Aw, isn't that just so cute?" Howard whispered as he walked in, Betty right beside him. He'd come in a few minutes ago (and Betty had patted him down for a wire just to be safe) and now smiled as he looked down at the babies and Angelica. "All tuckered out so they decided to nap together. I almost hate to wake them up."
"Yeah but you know the pups have been looking forward to gettin' their training underwear," Betty reminded him. "They've been jealous of Chuckie and Kimi being potty trained… and with you having nothing going on…"
"Right," Howard said, quietly stepping into the playpen only to step on a few cookies. "Oops."
"Aw, no big deal. Plenty more where that came from!" Betty placed two more cookies on the plate. "Go on and get… wish I could come with but want to get this finished. Deeds came up with the great idea of us including some actual pups with out pups so we need to bake another batch."
"We'll be back soon," Howard whispered.
About 30 minutes later Angelica and Dil yawned, waking up. "Ugh… oh…" the little girl murmured. "Was it all just a dream?"
Dil looked down to see the Tommy cookie was still a cookie. "No," he said sadly, lifting up his brother. "Good nappy?" he asked but the cookie didn't answer. Looking around he suddenly frowned, pointing at first himself and Angelica. "Phillip? Lillip?"
Angelica looked about as she realized the twins were missing… until she saw the two new cookies… which looked like Phil and Lil… sitting on the plate.
"Maybe… if we don't move… the Gingerbread Man can't get us?"
Dil didn't even nod as Angelica and him hugged in fear.