"Mommy, time to wake up. The baby is hungry. Mommy, mommy, mommy." Blair says sitting on Stephanie's bed leaning her face against her moms trying to wake her up.
"Blair don't bother she won't move. I've tried this a million times she hates the morning." Ruby says standing in the doorway of her moms room, watching what her sister was attempting to do.
"She will Ruby, watch and see." Blair says knowing she could get her mom to wake up, she had a plan in her mind.
"Go on then prove it and you can have my cupcake I was saving. If not you owe me one." Ruby says making the whole thing a deal as to if she could wake their mom up or fail as was the expected outcome.
"You got it dude." Blair says quoting her aunt with a mischievous smile on her face.
"Mommy Ruby is being mean to me and AJ, tell her to stop mommy." Blair says using a whine in her tone of voice the one thing she knew her mom hated.
"Oh Blair please I can't deal with this right now." Stephanie says her voice barely audible and her eyes only just opening. She didn't want to wake up to hearing her girls were fighting already.
"Told you Ruby, now pay up." Blair says getting off the bed satisfied that she had won and had woken up their mom. She had a huge smile on her face as she walks out and past Ruby.
"Abbie is really hungry mom, I fed AJ, Blair and myself, but I didn't know how to make the bottle for Abbie." Ruby says informing her mom that she had helped her out but couldn't do anything for the baby.
"Thank you Ruby." Stephanie says pulling her covers off and moves so she was now sitting at the side of her bed, still not wanting to get the day started, wishing she could sleep more.
Stephanie eventually gets herself sorted and awake enough to go downstairs and feed Abbie. She was greeted with smiles from the baby as she picked her up, which certainly made things more enjoyable even if she was exhausted.
"We have the family barbecue today, so I want you all on your best behaviour please." Stephanie says while feeding Abbie. "I don't want anyone coming to me telling me one of you has done something you shouldn't have."
"Is aunt Michelle coming?" Ruby asks an excited and eager look on her face.
"No, she's in New York working." Stephanie says seeing the happiness wash away from her daughters face.
"Oh nuts, but I'm a fun girl." Ruby says quoting her looking and sounding really upset that she wasn't going to see her.
"She never comes anymore, I wanna see aunt Michelle." Blair says looking just as disappointed as Ruby was.
"After the barbecue, maybe we can Skype chat with her?" Stephanie says thinking of a way to take the disappointment away from them.
"Yes you're the best mom." Ruby say with a huge smile on her face again that she was going to get to see and speak to her aunt anyway.
"Any Tanners in the house?" A male voice says from another room. Instantly the girls face each other and smile and then jump off the seats and run out from the kitchen.
"Grandpa, grandpa." They both say as they run up and wrap themselves round him in a huge hug.
"Hey girls." He says hugging them both back, a smile on his face for getting that greeting from them.
Stephanie walks in the room with Abbie on her hip and AJ holding her hand.
"Hey dad." Steph says to him smiling as she sees her girls still attached to him.
"Hey Steph." He says seeing her walking into the room and then looks at her quizzically being confused where the other two had come from. "You have new children? Did I miss something?"
"This is Abbie and this is AJ. Unexpected new additions, I'll explain later. Where's Teri?" Steph says changing the subject away from herself.
"Finding a parking space, she will be here soon." He says looking round the room seeing how much of a mess his daughter had left it in.
"I can see you haven't cleaned my house." He says making an observation as he was looking.
"No, you enjoy it too much dad." She says jokingly to him, he always loved cleaning and would clean it even if he wasn't asked.
"Ruby, Blair, AJ do any of you three girls want to help me clean?" He asked though knew the answer he would get.
"No I'm going to play with Princess Leila." Blair says picking her doll up from the sofa.
"Sorry grandpa, I just hate cleaning." Ruby says before picking up the TV remote and finding something to watch.
"I don't know you." AJ says quietly she was hiding behind Stephanie's leg feeling scared all of a sudden.
"AJ that's my dad, Ruby and Blairs grandpa. He's family, you will meet lots of our family today." Steph says telling her who he was, hoping she wouldn't be scared.
"Can I stay with you?" AJ asks her hands wrapped round Steph's legs.
"You can for a while but not all day." Steph says knowing that she has lots of things to do in the day and would need to not have a four year old with her.
Within the next few hours, DJ, Tommy and the boys show up. Max starts cleaning the house with his grandpa, baby Tommy plays in the playpen with Abbie and Jackson sits with Ruby watching TV. Uncle Jesse shows up with Becky and their boys, Becky instantly goes to the babies unable to stop playing and talking with them, loving every second of it. The last to arrive is Joey and his wife Rosie. The house was filling up and they had yet to take it outside, everyone being stuck inside talking amongst themselves. The kids playing and doing what they wanted to do, none really interacting with each other.
"Steph we are all curious how you have two new kids? We all thought you were done fostering." Becky says being the one asking the question most of them were thinking.
"I was, after last year I never saw myself doing this ever again. But it kinda just happened." She says shrugging it off not really explaining much to them.
"How long are they in your care?" DJ asks, she had obviously been the only one Steph had told about this whole thing but was still worried and curious herself.
"Not sure, for now it is two weeks, but if it's longer I will be told." She says again not elaborating on anything.
"Do you feel okay? Can you do this alone?" Becky asks concerned for Stephanie.
"I am alone. I'm a single mom with four girls that need my care. I can handle it okay." She says getting stressed that everyone kept worrying over her. "Let's get the barbecue started." She says getting up from the seat she was on and walks towards the garden.
Tommy starts up the barbecue, Becky, Steph and DJ get the tables set up outside for everyone. Danny continues his cleaning. Joey had gotten the kids into playing a game with him, as he didn't like seeing them all watching TV and not doing anything else. They were all currently chasing each other giggling and laughing and enjoying the time, string spray in each of their hands, each having a belt on with more cans attached to it.
"AJ do you want to join the game?" Joey says stopping for a second as he sees her still hovering round Stephanie.
"I don't know how." She says looking at him her blue eyes looking sad and confused.
"We are playing in teams one team is blue and the other is yellow. Whichever team covers the other the most wins. It's real fun AJ. You can be on my team if you want." Max says joining Joey in getting her to play with them. He was offering his can of spray that he had in his hand.
"Thanks Maxie." She says giving him a smile and takes the can. He picks up another can off the belt that Joey gave him to play and the two of them went together to start playing.
"Howdy Tanner-inos." Is heard behind where Steph was standing a voice she didn't want to be hearing. She turned round as did DJ and Becky and there she was with her daughter in tow.
"Kimmy, what are you doing here?" Steph says her voice annoyed.
"I can't miss the ol' Tanners barbecue." She says a huge smile on her face as she says it.
"You weren't invited." Steph says to her not in the mood to be dealing with Kimmy.
"DJ invited me." She says taking a seat at the table, her daughter sitting next to her typing on her phone.
"I did?" DJ says unsure when she had invited her. "Oh the phone call the other day, I told you about the barbecue didn't i?" DJ asks thinking about when she would have told her.
The girls all sit together for a while talking and catching up whilst they waited for the barbecue to be ready to start.
"Let's get this barbecue started." Tommy says having it all ready finally, letting the women know so they can call everyone else back to the garden.
"Dad, kids the barbecue is ready to start." DJ says standing in the kitchen shouting to get them to all come ready.
Danny who was almost finished cleaning comes downstairs with his DustBuster and stands in the garden doorway. As each child walks towards him he cleans them off removing any of the silly string that was all over them from the game they were playing. Once everyone was cleaned he quickly cleans the floor seeing bits that had fallen off the children as they approached him.
"Dad are you coming?" Steph says ready to sit down and eat with her family.
"Coming, just finishing the cleaning." He says before finishing and joining his family that had all joined together.
They were all sitting around the bench, Stephanie had her daughters sitting next to her, Max and Jackson next to them with Joey and Rosie, Becky, Jesse and Nicky and Alex next to them with Kimmy and Ramona and DJ together. At the point of the table was Danny and Teri with Tommy standing at the barbecue and the babies were sitting with Becky and Rosie.
Danny clinked his cup to gain attention from everyone ready to start his speech for everyone to listen to even if they don't want to. It was his tradition to have the annual Tanners barbecue each year.
'I can sit here and speak all day and no one can stop me. I love that I can talk and talk as long as I want.' Danny thought to himself while rambling on to his family.
'What am I doing? There's no way I'm going be able to look after these girls on my own. What was I thinking saying yes. I wish Zeke was here, he'd hug me and make everything better. I miss him.' Stephanie thinks to her head panic arising through her, starting to feel emotional. She shifts herself in her seat and blinks away the tears she could feel threatening.
'Where is aunt Michelle? Where is aunt Michelle? Where is aunt Michelle?' Ruby thinks to herself wishing for nothing more than her aunt to be with her family.
'Boring, so so so so boring. Why are grandpas speeches so boring?' Blair sings in her head bored and hungry wishing he would stop speaking already. She could feel her stomach rumbling and they always had to wait for him before they could eat.
'I like Maxie he's nice. Maybe we can play together after food? I hope he is my friend.' AJ says in her mind looking at Max who was next to her, a smile on her face thinking how much she liked him.
'I wonder if I can get money for helping look after AJ? Mom always says if I'm good and help out I can get a raise in my allowance.' Max thinks trying to receive more money for helping out.
'Lola's so hot, I know she likes me she said hey to me on Friday. J-money attracting all the honeys.' Jackson thinks having only Lola on his mind.
'I wonder if Steph has any ding dongs in the cupboard? Maybe I can get Blair to tell me where they are hidden. She knows all the hiding spots.' Joey thinks to himself just thinking of cakes and how he can get one.
'I think Abbie just filled her diaper, it's smells. I should excuse myself to go change her but Danny is on a roll today, I don't want to be rude.' Rosie thinks to herself getting an awful smell near her.
'I need another baby, I need another baby, I need another baby.' Becky thinks holding Tommy jr tightly in her arms. Looking directly to Jesse wishing to have mind control so he would give her another baby.
'Im hungry I want to eat that burger not a mush burger.' Tommy jr thinks looking at Abbie next to him.
'Me too I hate mush burgers. I have teeth I want a real burger.' Abbie thinks responding back to his thought.
'Im having an excellent hair day. Everyone is loving my hair today. I love my hair.' Jesse thinks touching his hair lightly, a grin across his face.
'Burgers are so rad man, I wonder if dad would buy us a burger van?' Nicky thinks looking at Alex as the thought crossed his mind.
'Right on dude, and the burgers to sell and gas money. We'll ask him later.' Alex thinks in reply knowing they'd need everything from their dad first.
'I want my phone back, why did we even have to come to this lame barbecue?' Ramona thinks having had her phone taken and put in her moms donut purse.
'Wow Mr. T sure does still enjoy talking a lot. Maybe if I air my feet out he'll stop.' Kimmy thinks taking her shoes off under the table. Realising the most obnoxious smell to the garden air.
'Oh-My-Lanta Tommy is so hot.' DJ thinks staring at her man. 'Woah who let a stink bomb off?' She thinks after having the smell waft up to her nose, ruining her adoration of her husband.
'Even on my day off I'm stuck working with fire. Just once I'd like to relax and play with my kids.' Tommy thinks standing by the barbecue, not having had the chance to relax.
'He's so smart, I love when he does these long speeches. I could listen to him for hours.' Teri thinks staring lovingly at Danny being the only one enjoying what he is saying.
As soon as Kimmy's feet are exposed to them they soon jump away from the seating, avoiding the smell she had just let loose in the garden. Danny grabs his pine fresh spray and sprays it around the garden covering over the horrendous smell.
'Kimmy put your shoes back on, no one wants to smell the back of a horse.' Stephanie says wanting the horror to end.
Eventually they all get to eat, the smell gone and the speech interrupted. They were all laughing together having a wonderful family time. Putting issues behind them and making sure the entire table had a smile.
Steph sees Abbie looking sleepy on Rosie later in and grabs her to go tuck her in for her nap. As she's up there she decides to load the laptop ready to call Michelle. The family had slowly started to come back inside now, the children playing together again and the adults all talking together. Steph sits in Abbie's room the laptop loaded on the dresser and sitting on the rocking chair.
"Hey sis what's up?" Michelle says as she answers the video chat and sees Steph before her.
"Can you come home, I need you." Steph says her voice chocking up already.
"Back up, tell me everything." Michelle says not knowing what the reason was she needed her home so desperately.
Steph takes in a deep breath wanting to hold back her tears that she could feel welling up inside her. She'd been holding back her feelings not sharing with anyone and was now going to share so her youngest sister could be with her.
"I miss Zeke, I hate being without him. I hate that he's gone and I can't bring him back. I hate myself for letting him go. I hate that I'm left as a single mom. I hate waking up every morning and he's not by my side anymore. I hate not having my best friend with me. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it." Steph says tears flowing and anger In her tone at not having him there.
"I haven't fostered kids since he'd gone and now I have two little girls depending on me along with my own two and I don't know what I'm doing. I have work, I'm always busy it's hard to even look after my own girls with my schedule and now I have to give full time care to these new girls and I'm not sure I can do it. I'm not good enough for this. It was Zeke's thing fostering the children, he cherished every kid that came into our care. How can I ever replicate that with these girls. I'm not right for this like he was." She stops again her tears coming heavily again as she speaks of him.
"I need your help. I need my baby sister to come and help me. Please can you come. Blair and Ruby adore you and never stop asking for you. I really need your help, the girls need you just as much as I do. Please Michelle can you come?" Steph asks wiping her tears, practically begging her sister to come back.
"It's my busiest time of year. Fashion week is almost here. That meant I have to finalise everything, get my models sorted, outfits perfected, planning everything out so I have no mistakes when it comes to the shows. I'll be travelling round the world showcasing all my hard work soon. I really don't have the time to come Steph." Michelle says looking uncomfortable, frustrated and heartbroken. She was debating with herself in her mind.
"Why don't you ask DJ to come help, she lives near you right?" She says before stopping herself knowing that's not going to change anything. "Wait if I bring work with me I could maybe spare a month, I don't know how much help I'll be though Steph. I'm so busy finalising everything. But fine I'm booking my flight right now. I'll be there some time tomorrow." Michelle says giving in not able to say no seeing how hurt and upset her sister was. She was never really able to say no to her family, everyone always knew how to win.
Stephanie and Michelle finish having a conversation, talking about everything. Once they had finished and said goodbye Stephanie calms herself and makes herself presentable again not wanting to show her family she had been crying. They didn't need to know how she was feeling right now.
As she walks downstairs and into the living room she sees all of them gathered together. They were all talking and it wasn't until Jesse coughed that they realised she was standing there watching them.
"Sit down honey we need to talk." Danny says guiding Stephanie to one of the seats.
"We heard what you said to Michelle." Becky says starting to explain.
"We've all been talking together about what to do." Jesse says sitting on the table grabbing Stephanie's hands in his.
"We are going to move back here and help you." Joey says coming to stand with Danny and Becky.
"No it's fine, I don't need you to all move back." Stephanie says confused why they were all saying that.
"You're clearly not fine Steph, we all heard you." DJ says giving her a pained look of sympathy.
"You clearly didn't hear everything Michelle and I spoke about." Steph says standing back up out of the seat.
"I appreciate that you all want to help really I do. I honestly couldn't have gotten through the last year without you all. But I asked Michelle to come and help me. She's flying in tonight and is going to be staying for a month. The girls need her, they always ask for her to be here so right now I think she can help us all out." Stephanie says filling in the gap she was assuming they hadn't heard.
"Nothing else needs to change okay? Deej I know you are only a phone call away and you or Tommy will always help me, I just have to ask. Dad, as long as you help with the cleaning still I'm okay. If I need a babysitter Becky, Joey I know you will both be right there to look after the kids. You always are. And Jesse if I need a friend and someone to cry on your shoulder is always available. I love you all but don't stop your lives just for me. I'm okay really."