DISC: I DO NOT own any of the chars from BSC. They belong to Ann M. Martin. I Do however own anyone you don't recognize!
Enjoy!
"Kristy's Big Decision"
CHAPTER 23
The next morning, we got dressed and met everyone for breakfast at Chef Mickey's.
The kids were excited for the character breakfast.
Karen and Alex, along with Charlotte were hoping Ariel would be there.
I tried to explain that she probably had to take care of her children and wouldn't be able to attend.
When we arrived, we helped the kids get their breakfasts and then got something for ourselves.
Anya helped Alex get hers and Karen went with them. She insisted that Alex was a good luck charm to find Ariel.
I watched them go and started cutting up Emily's Mickey Mouse waffles and her bacon shaped like Goofy.
Just then, Gabbi started shrieking with delight and pointing across the aisle.
"What is it, Gabbers?" I asked.
"Kristy Thomas, look!" She shouted in excitement. "It's Tinker Bell!"
I glanced over to where Gabbi was pointing.
Sure enough, a teenage girl who looked a lot like Tink was standing near a buffet table lined with muffins and biscuits.
The only difference was her eyes. Where Tink's were a sparkling blue, the teenager's eyes were brown.
"Can we go see her, Kristy Thomas? Please?" Gabbi asked.
"Sure!" I said. "Hey, Claud. Can you watch Em for me?"
"Sure thing. " She said as she stuffed her third croissant in her mouth.
"Thanks." I said dryly. I kissed my little sister on the head and told her to be good. "Come on, Gabbers. " I said. "Let's go see Tink."
"YAY!" Gabbi cheered as I guided her towards the teenager.
I smiled at her warmly as we approached.
"Hi!" I said. "I'm Kristy. And this is Gabbi."
"HI!" Gabbi said excitedly. "Where's Blaze?"
The teenager's eyes lit up in recognition after a minute.
"He's back in Pixie Hollow." She said, sounding exactly like Tink. "He doesn't like crowds."
Gabbi nodded.
The teenager knelt down to Gabbi's level and the two talked for a few minutes.
"Did you bring Lizzy with you?" Gabbi asked.
"I think she's eating breakfast with her father." Tink said. "But she's around here somewhere."
Gabbi nodded.
After the were done talking, I thanked the teenage girl who mouthed to me that her name was Mae and told Gabbi it was time for her to leave.
"Okay." She said. "can I Give you a hug?"
Tink nodded and embraced her without any hesitation.
Tink whispered something in Gabbi's ear and she nodded with a grin.
Once we were done, I quickly explained that we had a few more Disney Fairy Fans back at our table.
Tink promised she would try and come over to see them.
After we were done, we headed back to our table.
Gabbi told everyone there what had happened and they all became excited, hoping to meet Tink themselves.
Throughout the rest of breakfast, various characters came to see the kids.
Tink was among them, as well as Mickey, Minnie and Chip and Dale.
As for the princesses, Jasmine, Cinderella and Aurora were the only ones who showed up.
"Kristy, can I have more eggs, please?" Karen asked.
"Karen, aren't you stuffed yet?" I said as I watched her eat the last bit of a fourth piece of French toast.
"If I was stuffed, I wouldn't be asking for more." Karen pointed out.
"Anya, do you want to take her?" I asked.
"Sure." Anya replied. "Come on, Karen. Let's go raid the French toast table the royal way."
"There's a royal way to raid a table?" Karen asked in surprise.
"Come with me and you'll find out." Anya replied.
Shaking my head, I went back to my own meal.
Meanwhile, Anya and Karen were trying to figure out what flavor of French toast Karen wanted to try next.
"How about Apricot?" Anya suggested.
Karen wrinkled her nose.
"I never cared for Apricot." Karen said in her best imitation of Anya.
"Oh, well, let's see what we can find that will satisfy your royal pallet." Anya suggested.
After searching for a little while longer, Karen finally chose a piece of peach French toast and a small piece with mango on it.
As they were heading back, Anya spotted a little girl standing near a table with fruit loops and assorted cereal on it.
"Karen, why don't we get you back to Kristy." She suggested. "I want to get a plate for Alex."
Karen looked confused.
"Why don't you just get it now."
""Because I know you want to eat and I have to go to the bathroom."
"Oh." Karen replied. "Okay."
Making sure Karen would be okay once they returned to the table, Anya told us she would be right back.
"No problem." I said. "We'll keep an eye on Alex."
"I have no doubt." Anya said as she left.
After taking a bathroom break, Anya raced back to the spot she had seen the little girl.
When she got there, she found her in the same place.
When the little girl spotted her, she smiled and gasped in surprise.
"Hi there." Anya said as she approached the little girl.
"Holy macanoli!" She said as she stared at Anya. "You're…you're Anastasia!"
Before Anya could say anything, a man approached them. He was of African American descent and he had really nice brown eyes.
He sighed with relief upon seeing the girl standing there.
"Molly, there you are." He said. "I've been looking all over for you. How did you get over here, babe?"
"Someone took the last peach waffle." She explained. "I was gonna get a strawberry one, but then Jewelheart went after the kid that took it, so I had to go after her."
"I'm glad you're safe." He said. He then gazed up at Anya. "Thanks for keeping her safe."
"I didn't do anything. " Anya said. "By the way, I'm Anya."
"Mike Tyler." Mike replied. "I'm Molly's baseball coach."
"And my best grown up friend." Molly said with a grin.
Mike ruffled the little girl's light brown hair which was in two pigtails.
"Well, we need to get back to the table now." Mike said, turning to Anya. "Molly's aunt was really worried about her."
Anya nodded.
"I understand." She said. "I'm the same with Alex."
"Is Alex a princess like you?" Molly asked.
Anya nodded.
"She sure is." She said.
"Wow!"
Anya giggled and gave Molly a warm smile.
"It was really nice to meet both of you." Anya said.
"Same here." Mike replied. "Well, come on, Moll." He said.
"Wait!" Molly insisted. "Jewelhart's still missing."
"Maybe I can help." Anya offered.
"How?" The little girl asked.
"Well, when my dog, Pooka runs away, all I have to do to get him to come back is whistle."
"I tried that." Molly said. "I guess Jewelhart must have been really hungry."
Anya smiled.
"Trust me." She winked and put her plan into action.
Molly watched in amazement as Jewelhart came running around the corner a minute or so later.
"You did it!" She said. "Thanks for helping me find Jewelhart. You're the best princess ever! You're even cooler than Sleeping Beauty."
"Well, thanks, kiddo." Anya said with a laugh. "I hope you guys enjoy the rest of your vacation."
"We will!" Molly assured her. "Thanks again! Dosvedanya!" With that, she and Mike were gone, along with the playful golden retriever.
Getting back to the table, Anya sat down just as Sari reached for a biscuit and knocked over her drink.
Anya and Claud cleaned up the mess quickly.
After that was done, Anya explained what had happened and who she had met at the fruit table.
"Do you think Molly and her family will move to Stoneybrook, Mama?" Alex asked.
Anya shrugged.
"I don't know, sweetie. " She said. "You just never know."
Alex nodded and dug back into her breakfast.
Before we knew it, everyone had their fill and the kids were raring to visit the parks one last time.
When we reached Magic Kingdom, Sari spotted someone she wanted to say good-bye to.
She practically pulled Anya over to where Goofy was standing.
As they approached, Anya watched in amusement and realization as Goofy tripped over a bench in his attempt to get to them.
Sari threw her arms around Goofy and gave him a hug.
"We're going home tomorrow." Sari told him. 'I'm gonna miss you. Are you gonna miss me?"
Anya shook her head as she saw Goofy stick his stomach out.
"Be quiet. " Anya said softly. "Don't talk."
Goofy nodded just in time, which made Sari smile.
"You're my favorite part of Disney World." She said. "Have a nice summer."
She gave Goofy another hug. She was about to go back to Anya's side, when something occurred to her. "Goofy, you're not talking to me. Why?"
As Goofy went to answer, Anya shook her head once again.
"Shut up." She hissed. "And that's an order."
Goofy nodded. He gave Sari another hug and then walked away just as twin five-year-old girls attacked him.
"All right, Sar-bear." Anya said. "Let's get back to the others."
"Okay." She agreed. She let Anya give her a piggy back ride back to where we were waiting.
As they left, Goofy waved at them before turning his attention back to the twins.
"What do you guys want to do now?" I asked once everyone was accounted for. "Remember, today is our last official day here. That means everyone can do their #favorite thing one more time."
"Small world!" Emily announced. But instead of looking at me, she glanced at Anya. "Ana, please?" She asked.
"Sure, Em." Anya agreed. She turned to Alex. "How about you, my cherina?"
Alex shook her head adamantly.
"NO thanks!" She replied. "You're on your own with this one."
"Are you sure?" Anya asked.
"Positive." Alex assured her.
"Okay." With that, she took Emily by the hand on her left and Claire on her right.
By the time the song was on its fifth go around, Anya understood why her daughter had declined.
She made a mental note to give away Alex's copy of the song on CD when they got home.
After Anya and the girls got off of the ride, I asked everyone what they wanted to do next.
"Can we see Genie again, please Kristy Thomas?" Gabbi asked. She was wearing her Princess jasmine crown and staring at me with hopeful eyes.
"We'll see." I said. "Let's try and do some more things here first."
Gabbi agreed with this and quickly turned her attention to the Peter Pan ride.
As we stood in line, David Michael joined us.
After the Peter Pan ride was over, we rejoined everyone and tried to figure out what to do next.
"I wanna go on Pirates of the Caribbean." Linny said.
David Michael agreed right away.
This meant I, along with Claudia, were soon accompanying both boys onto the ride.
As we approached the turn style, a cast member approached us. He pointed a fake sword at David Michael.
"Ah, I spot a land lover seeking to make trouble."
David Michael frowned.
"I only did that once.!" He said defensively.
"It one's matter. Once is enough. If you be seeking to cause trouble on my boat. Ye be walking' the plank."
"We got it. " Linny said. "No trouble."
The cast member nodded.
"You would do well to remember." With that, he was gone.
The minute he was gone, Linny muttered, "Weirdo. I'll bet there's not even a real plank."
"I wouldn't bait him if I were you." I advised.
"What does fishing have to do with this?" David Michael asked.
I laughed gently.
"Nothing. " I answered. "I meant you shouldn't push him."
"There's nowhere to push him off." Linny pointed out.
We settled into the ride and things started off calmly.
Surprisingly, everything continued to go smoothly. But it didn't last for long.
When the ride ended, the cast member who had warned David Michael came aboard.
"Everyone exit single file. We wouldn't want anyone to become shark food. The sharks don't eat lunch yet anyway."
"Weirdo." Linny said again.
"What ye be saying?" The cast member asked.
Linny stared him down.
"You're a weirdo." He declared.
"Ah, perhaps you'd like to try out the new and improved plank." He suggested
"No thanks." He said.
"That's what I thought. " The cast member replied. With that, he walked away.
"Linny!" I hissed.
"What?" He asked. "That guy was a weirdo."
Shaking my head, I chose to say nothing as we walked back to where the others were waiting for us.
After the pirate disaster, we decided to do Philharmagic one more time.
Claudia stayed outside with Sari, content too munch on another Goofy lollipop.
As she bit off Goofy's head, she relished in the taste and savered the sweetness as it went down.
She and Sari played patty-cake and other little games until we came out.
"Claudia, I'm hungry!" Sari said as she watched her eat the last of a Mickey bar.
She spotted a stand selling Goofy shaped cookies and bought two for the both of them.
Sari promptly put the cookie in her mouth and bit off Goofy's head.
"Yum!" Sari said happily.
Claudia giggled as she watched Sari devawer the cookie.
"Is that good?" She asked.
"Uh-huh." Sari replied.
"I'm glad." Claud said.
We returned shortly afterwards.
"Kristy, I'm thirsty." Charlotte said as we approached Claudia and Sari.
Some of the other kids voiced similar agreement, so we got them drinks.
Karen and Alex picked Ariel cups, while Charlotte picked a Pocahontas one and Claire picked Mickey.
As for Gabbi, she picked Jasmine, while Mariah picked Goofy as did Sari.
After we were done our drinks and assorted snacks, we headed back to the hotel for a swim in the pool.
Sari insisted on taking Goofy in and Claudia allowed her to. She stressed that Sari had to keep a tight hold on Goofy and she promised she would.
"Goofy doesn't want another swimming lesson." Claud explained.
"Besides," Anya added, "Jon isn't here to save him this time."
"Why didn't Jon come with us, Mama?" Alex asked as she sat down while Anya quickly braided her hair to keep it out of her face.
"He had to work, sweetie. " Anya replied.
"What does he do?" Karen asked as I lathered her with sunscreen.
"Uh, he helps Mickey and Goofy." Anya answered.
Fortunately, before Karen could ask anymore questions, Margo challenged her to a race and the two were off.
Soon the other kids were in the pool having fun.
Even we baby-sitters joined them in the water for the last few minutes.
After we were done swimming, we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.
We ate dinner in the Magic Kingdom for the last time.
The kids enjoyed it as did we.
As we were heading back to the hotel an hour later, Mal brought up the subject of souvenirs for Abby, Mary-Anne and Dawn as well as Stacey.
We agreed to get them a little something before we left.
Entering a shop on Main Street, I told the kids they could pick out a small souvenir each for their parents or siblings who couldn't come along.
Hannie and Sari, along with Linny, were among the kids who didn't buy anything for anyone.
Alex bought a coffee mug for Sara that had 101 Dalmatians on it.
As for Charlotte, she bought Stacey a T-shirt that said I LOVE Walt Disney World with a picture of Tinker Bell on it.
The other kids just got little things like pens, hats and a few assorted toys.
Alex asked Anya if they could buy something for Pooka.
"We can see if they have anything for him." Anya replied.
After looking around for a little while longer, they ended up finding a squeak toy in the shape of Goofy.
"This is awesome!" Alex said. "Now Pooka won't get slobber on my stuff."
Anya smiled as she ruffled her daughter's hair.
I ended up picking a plush Tigger for Mary-Anne in honor of her real cat named after the same character.
As for Abby, I picked up a book of Disney jokes and puns. When I saw it sitting there, I saw Abby's name written all over it.
Claud got Dawn a visor with the mice from Cinderella on it.
After we got back to the hotel, the kids were too wired to sleep, so we let them stay up a little bit later.
The only ones who were fast asleep already were Sari, Emily and Gabbi.
Anya was carrying Gabbi, while Claud carried Sari and I had Emily.
As for us baby-sitters, we talked for another half an hour before going to bed ourselves.
We were heading back home the next day and we knew we had to be up early.
All in all, this vacation was definitely one I didn't think any of us would forget any time soon…